Flawed and Fragmented
by huddysmyvicodin
Summary: "Our future will be just like us, flawed and fragmented". This story takes place right after "Clean Slate" and features all the original characters, including Alex. Definitely a Rufus/Lily story. I hope you guys like!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi, welcome back! I am thrilled that you guys wanted a sequel, and if you haven't yet read it, I would suggest going back to read **_**Clean Slate. **_**Enjoy the first chapter, which is rated M.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Gossip Girl because it would have turned out a lot better. The only person I claim is Alex. **

**Chapter One**

_"You're pregnant? How did you…?" Rufus breaks off, so excited that he can't even string words together. This is what he wanted, he could not be happier to be having another child with his wife. Lily admits that she wasn't as ecstatic as Rufus is when the doctor told her, but seeing him this overjoyed makes her reflect his emotion. _

_ "I had a hunch and went with it. Honestly, I don't know how this is going to work out, but we are having another baby." Lily feels stupid when her eyes prick with tears for the second time today. Rufus uses his thumb to flick away a tear and then moves his hand to bring his lips to hers passionately._

_ "Yes we are," Rufus mumbles against her lips, blindly resting his hand over her flat stomach before kissing her again._

They separate and Lily shifts slightly on the couch until she is nestled in Rufus' lap. He moves his arms so they are folded over his wife's stomach. Rufus has so many questions to ask her regarding their baby; he doesn't know where to start. Lily is patiently waiting for him to say something, but he isn't, which has her worried.

"Rufus?" Lily tilts her head up to look at him, seeing him try to organize his thoughts. Rufus breaks out of reverie in order to lock eyes with his wife, who is staring at him with a terrified expression on her face.

"I'm okay Lil; I just don't know where to begin. Uh…how far along are you?" Lily sighs against him; she was concerned that he was having second thoughts.

"A little over a month, the doctor said that I am due in May." Rufus brushes a kiss to the top of her head while Lily uses an arm to rub his thigh.

"I am curious Lil, how did you get tipped off that you were pregnant? I haven't noticed anything different."

"Well, I was looking for that juicer William bought me a few years ago and I realized that my juice craving was back. Where did that juicer go by the way?" Rufus clears his throat,

"It might have been thrown into the trash shortly after William left. I don't know though, it's just a theory." Lily rolls her eyes; she finds Rufus' jealousy over William adorable because it's so unreasonable sometimes.

"Were you afraid that the juicer was going to confess its undying love for me when you were around?" Rufus clicks his tongue against his teeth,

"_No_, it broke when I _accidentally _dropped it so I threw it away. Anyway, enough about that, when are we going to tell the kids?" Lily shrugs her shoulders and readjusts her head on his chest.

"I am not sure; I would like to tell them as soon as possible, I am just scared of how they are going to react, especially Alex."

"I think Alex will be the most excited out of all of them when we explain to her what is happening. We should tell the kids all together though because you and I both know that Alex will want to blab our secret right away."

"Good point, let's see if they can do dinner soon, maybe tomorrow. Oh, I have something to show you." Lily gets up and heads over to her purse, digging through it until she finds her wallet. Rufus cranes his neck over the couch to see what his wife is up to. She finds what she needs and bounces back over to him, handing him the ultrasound picture before sitting in her original spot.

"That is a very cute and tiny dot," Rufus jokes as he analyzes the picture and extends his arms so they are both looking at it. Lily reaches up to kiss him on the cheek,

"I know, you can barely see anything this early, but our kid is still pretty adorable." Lily giggles and carefully maneuvers on the couch so she is facing him. He reaches up to brush a wayward strand of hair out of her face. She bites her lip and bends down to kiss him, her tongue lacing into his mouth. Rufus leans into the kiss, both of his hands cupped around her cheeks, pulling her in closer. Lily hums and skates her hands down Rufus' chest, stopping when she reaches the hem of his shirt. Unfortunately, Lily's phone beeps, interrupting their alone time on the couch. An apology escapes Lily's lips and she reaches over to check her phone lying on the coffee table.

"Who is it?" Rufus asks, trying to scoot up a little so his back is up against the couch. Lily scratches her chin,

"It's Charles, I'm sorry, I have to go." Lily chucks her phone onto the table and attempts to get off the couch, but Rufus wraps his arms tightly around her back.

"No, don't go, we were having fun," Rufus pouts childishly, he wants her to stay here so they can celebrate her pregnancy. Lily smirks at him, hoping that he is kidding.

"I'll be home for dinner," Lily presses a lingering kiss to the corner of Rufus' mouth before getting to her feet.

"I know, I'll call the kids after my nap," Rufus closes his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest.

"Lucky you," Lily picks up her purse and cell phone, heading towards the elevator.

Rufus pops one eye open when he hears the elevator doors close. He swipes his phone off the table and texts their kids, requesting a mandatory dinner tomorrow night, no exceptions. Sadly, Rufus knows that Scott can't make it down for one night, so they will just have to tell him another time. He sets his phone down and fiddles with his wedding ring. Something tells him that he and Lily won't be able to not mention the baby in front of Alex.

Plus, Rufus can't remember the last time he and Lily have had dinner alone. This would be the perfect excuse for a date night, but who is going to watch Alex on such short notice? Maybe if he could bribe one of their kids… Dan would be, by far, the easiest one to negotiate with, so he dials his son's number.

"Hey dad, what's up?" Dan asks, balancing the phone on his shoulder.

"I was wondering if you could do me a favor and…housesit for Lily and me tonight."

"By housesit you mean babysit?" Rufus clears his throat,

"Well…yes, but I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. I think Lily and I could use a night alone."

"Sure, I just don't want to know the details. What time should I come over?"

"I think I will just come over to the loft, I want to cook Lil dinner there tonight."

"Wow dad that is beyond romantic did you piss Lily off or something?" Rufus chuckles,

"No, can't I just do something nice for my wife?"

"Of course you can, I will have Alex help me with my essay on F. Scott Fitzgerald's literary technique in between coloring."

"Thank you son, I think Alex will enjoy it. I'll see you later."

Lily scrambles into the door of Bass Industries, spotting Charles sitting in his office, going over paperwork. She knocks on the door and steps in, immediately causing Chuck to stand up.

"Charles, sorry I am late," Lily leans over the desk to kiss his cheek.

"It's fine," Chuck stares at Lily, noticing that she is giddy about something, almost _glowing. _ "Obviously you are feeling better from last night. In fact, you seem oddly happy today. Let me guess, Rufus discovered a new waffle topping?" Lily sets her purse on the floor, a wide smile playing on her face. She wants to tell her son, but would rather keep it between her and Rufus for now.

"No Charles, it has nothing to do with Rufus' signature dish. I don't know I just feel _different_ today. Oh, I want to invite you to dinner tomorrow with the family. Can you come?"

"I guess I can cancel the hookers I have coming tomorrow to attend a Humphrey dinner as long as Rufus isn't making chili." Lily can't tell if her son is kidding about his hooker comment, but it doesn't matter. She is ecstatic that he wants to come to a family event.

"I'll tell my husband to let the Crockpot be for one night if it means you will come or at least stop by."

"I will definitely try to make an appearance. Shall we get back to business?" Lily nods and Chuck hands her the financial report he was skimming earlier.

Alex rubs her eyes and pushes the covers off of her. She grips her monkey and heads downstairs, knowing either her mom or dad will be waiting for her.

"Hey Alex, did you have a good nap?" Rufus asks, spotting his daughter carefully walking down the stairs.

"Yup, I sweep good. Where's mommy?" Alex walks toward her father and sits next to him on the couch.

"She is with Chuck at work." Alex's eyes shimmer at the mention of Chuck, undoubtedly her favorite sibling.

"What we doin here?"

"Well, we have to go grocery shopping." The toddler frowns, she isn't a fan of shopping for food; she would rather do it for clothes or toys. Rufus rolls his eyes at his daughter, knowing that her mother hates grocery shopping as well. Lily always sends him with a list, telling him that she will handle the furniture, art and clothes if he takes care of the food. Rufus makes fun of her because she wouldn't know what to buy since she can't put a decent meal together. "Come on kid, go potty and put your shoes on. We will make this quick."

"Okay daddy, can I get cookie at store?" Alex produces a sweet smile and bats her eyelashes at her father. Rufus let out a small laugh, his daughter, even at a young age, knows how to acquire what she wants.

"Sure sweetie, if you are good," Rufus warns, giving his daughter a stern look.

"I always good daddy," Alex comments and hops off the couch, sauntering over to the bathroom, leaving her dad shocked by what she just said. Alex does what she is told and soon they are ready to leave for the grocery store.

Rufus lifts Alex into the cart's seat and starts pushing her through the store. He has no idea what to make him and Lily for dinner, nor does he know what Alex wants.

"Alex, what would you like to eat for dinner tonight?" Rufus asks his daughter who has managed to find a catalog, he has no idea how. Alex looks up, miffed that her dad interrupted her. Her tiny shoulders shrug, she is at a loss. Her mommy and daddy don't usually ask her, they just cook…well her daddy does while her mommy watches.

"Ice cweam?"

"Nice try Alex, but no. I was thinking real food. Like this, maybe?" Rufus holds up a box of macaroni of cheese with characters from the latest children's movie sprinkled on it.

"Oh, pwetty, I want dat for dinner." Rufus throws the box into the back of the cart and proceeds through the aisles. He just has to find something for him and Lily to eat. Alex peels her eyes away from the catalog to glance around the store, wondering why they are still here. She thought her daddy already got something for dinner, what else do they need? "Daddy?"

Rufus drops two chicken breasts into the cart and walks over to his daughter.

"What's up Alex?"

"Why you need dat?" Alex motions behind her to the chicken and other assortment of food gathering.

"I am cooking your mom dinner tonight at the loft. Dan is coming to watch you at the penthouse." Alex doesn't like this plan; she enjoys eating with her mommy and daddy.

"Why not I come?" The child's eyes widen with hurt, making Rufus feel bad. He twirls his finger through his daughter's blonde pigtail and leans on the cart slightly. He is at a loss for words, he doesn't think "sorry honey, daddy wants to screw mommy and we don't want you to intrude" will suffice.

"Uh…well I want to do something special for mommy because she has been working so hard lately. We thought it would be more fun if you stayed home and hung out with Dan." Rufus lies, giving his daughter a reassuring smile to let her know he and Lily aren't abandoning her. Alex nods and goes back to studying the pictures splashed across the catalog while Rufus heads towards the checkout counter.

Rufus loads the bags into their car and tells Isaac that they need to stop at the florist shop before going back to the penthouse. They arrive at the florist shop, but Rufus doesn't get out of the car right away.

"Daddy, we here," Alex informs her father, wriggling around her car seat so her father will get the message.

"I know Alex, just hang on a second; I need to text your mommy first." Rufus sits up in his seat slightly in order to pull his phone out of his pocket.

**Hey Lil, I need you to go home, get dressed and meet me at the loft. I have a surprise for you tonight. Love you,**

** -R.**

Rufus slips his phone back into his pocket and gets out of the car. He maneuvers around so he can unbuckle Alex from the car seat. The little toddler takes her father's hand as he escorts her into the flower shop.

Lily's phone buzzes against Chuck's maple desk. Her cheeks flush and she grabs her phone, reading the text from Rufus. Confusion flickers across her face briefly, but then she starts to get excited about whatever her husband has up his sleeve.

"These ones Alex, here," Rufus informs his daughter and points to a bouquet of Casablanca lilies, his wife's favorite flower.

"No, dese," Alex fights back, holding collection of salmon colored roses in her hands.

"Sorry honey, but these are the ones your mom likes the best. Trust me Alex, I am sure of it." Alex scowls, but her father looks confident in his choice. She sets the roses back on the table and scampers over to her father.

"I have to go, I'm sorry Charles. I will see you tomorrow though right?" Lily asks her son as he is signing off on some paperwork.

"Of course the waffles are waiting. See you tomorrow Lily," Chuck brushes a kiss to Lily's cheek and watches her go.

Lily stumbles out of Bass Industries, intent on finding the perfect dress for her and Rufus' date night. She wants to stay away from the maternity clothes she bought when she was pregnant with Alex for as long as possible. Plus, there is no need; her stomach is still taut and flat. She pulls out her iPhone, sending a text to Rufus.

**I like when you get bossy with me. I also enjoy your surprises. I will be at the loft in about an hour or so. Love you too.**

** -L.**

"Grab the door for me Alex, would you please?" Rufus asks while he is balancing the groceries on his arm. Alex yanks on the door to the loft, but it won't open.

"It too heavy," Alex declares and uses her tiny fist to pound on the door. "Dan! Open pwease." Dan swings the loft door and takes a few grocery bags off of Rufus' hands. Alex carefully lifts herself onto the barstool while he watches her father and half brother unload the food.

"So what am I making Alex for dinner tonight? Nothing to hard I hope," Dan asks Rufus nervously.

"She wanted macaroni and had a cookie in the car so she should be fine. Lil and I won't be gone too long, although you might have to put Alex to bed for us."

"That's fine, no details please."

"Right," Rufus starts peeling some potatoes while Dan helps with the chicken.

An hour later, Lily walks out of Barneys clutching her purchase close to her as she squeezes into a cab. The taxi takes her back to the penthouse so she can start to get ready. Once she gets home, she dashes up to her room and carefully extracts the couture gown from the plastic wrap. Lily disappears into the bathroom to make sure her makeup isn't smudged. She fixes her ebony eyeliner and brushes her teeth before making her way over to her dress.

The sparkly plum floor length gown slips onto her effortlessly, molding to her body shape. Lily reaches behind her to clasp the diamond necklace Alex got her for her birthday onto her neck. As she is slipping on her heels, she can hear the elevator door ding open. Lily goes to the top of the stairs to see who is stepping off.

"Hi mommy," Alex exclaims and waves from the bottom, holding onto Dan's hand. Lily smiles and meets her daughter in the living room, picking her up, not caring if her dress gets wrinkled. "Mommy, daddy got you fwowers!" Alex informs her mother, not knowing that it is supposed to be a secret. Dan cracks a smile as he sets the grocery bag containing Alex's dinner on the counter. Lily puts Alex down to inspect what Rufus bought their daughter to eat. _Not exceptionally healthy, but not too bad. _

"Daddy bought me flowers, what else?" Lily asks her daughter, trying to extrapolate information from her. Dan covers Alex's mouth as she is talking, making the toddlers words unintelligible.

"Nothing, you will find out when you get there." Lily shoots a playful glare at Dan for corrupting her plan.

"Fine, you are right. Thank you for doing this Daniel," Lily stamps a kiss on her stepson's cheek and moves over to her daughter.

"You need to be good for Dan, okay Alex? I want you to be asleep by the time daddy and I get back." Lily plants a kiss on the crown of Alex's head and blows a kiss goodbye while she is getting into the elevator.

The door to the loft opens while Lily is knocking on it. She is impressed by what she sees; her husband really goes all out for his surprises. There are candles resting on the table, soft music playing in the background and apple juice poured into Lily's wine glass.

"Hey Lil," Rufus approaches her with flowers and a quick kiss. Lily catches a whiff of the flowers, smiling into them.

"Thank you, this is so sweet," Lily captures the collar of Rufus' trademark flannel shirt, crashing his lips onto hers.

"I have to finish dinner," Rufus mumbles against her lower lip, nibbling on it teasingly before walking away. Lily finds a vase to put the flowers in and patiently waits for their food to be served.

"Dan, I have dinner now?" Alex asks her brother who has been glued to his laptop since he got here.

"Of course Alex," Dan shuts off his computer and walks over to the kitchen, swiping the bag containing the pasta. He starts rifling through drawers and cabinets, searching for a pan to cook the macaroni in. Alex tears her attention away from her new coloring book to stare at her half-brother. She decides to help him out since her daddy showed her where some of the cooking stuff was the other day. Alex taps Dan on the leg and points to the unopened drawer next to him.

"Mommy don't know eader," Alex comments, leaving Dan astounded by the three-year-old who seems intelligent beyond her years.

"Thanks," Dan mutters and walks over to the stove, switching on the burner. Alex hangs back in case her sibling needs anymore help taking into account that one of her favorite things to do is aiding her dad in cooking the family dinner.

Rufus grabs fully made plates for them and hands Lily hers. They sit down at the small dining table and start to eat.

"Okay, let's start with the most obvious question: boy or girl?" Rufus asks and reaches for his beer to take a sip. Lily presses her fork to her lips while she is chewing.

"Well, I am going to stick with boy even though I was wrong the last time. I seem to have alternated gender with each kid, so this time I am more confident it will be a boy. What about you?"

"Girl, for sure, not that I wouldn't mind another boy, I just think another girl would be fun." Lily purses her lips; she isn't buying Rufus' excuse.

"I am guessing that you picked girl because I picked boy."

"Oh really, care to place another bet like we did with Alex?"

"You are so on. And when I win, our _son _is going to be named Bart William Humphrey." Rufus chokes on his drink a little, shaking his head back and forth while Lily giggles.

"Just for that, if we are having another girl, I will be naming her after my favorite _first _wife."

"Ouch."

"Oh yeah." Lily narrows her eyes at him, contemplating whether it is worth it to inadvertently spill her apple juice all over him. _He did plan this nice dinner for us…maybe I'll hold off. _

"Does the winner get the same thing as last time, the right to pick the name within reasonand diaper duty for the first six months?"

"If I remember correctly, and I think I do, Alex's first diaper was actually changed by me so you didn't keep up your end of the deal." Lily blushes, she forgot about that.

"Well…I w-was um…so far away and you were right there. It didn't seem fair to make Alex wait." Rufus rolls his eyes, not falling for his wife's excuse.

"Alright, bypassing your little lie, what do you suggest we wager instead?" A malevolent smile forms on Lily's face,

"How about…the loser has to take my mother out for a meal after the baby is born?" Rufus cringes at the thought of Lily's proposal, lunch or dinner with CeCe sounds awful.

"Are you willing to inflict that on yourself if you lose?"

"I am if you are," Lily holds out her hand for Rufus to shake. He grabs it and pulls her in for a kiss to solidify their bet.

Dan manages to make Alex's dinner without burning anything, but the toddler doesn't eat much.

"What's wrong Alex? Is the macaroni not good?" Dan asks and steals Alex's fork to take a bite. Alex takes a sip of milk from her sippy cup,

"My tummy hurt." This makes Dan panic, he has never taken care of a sick child before. He isn't sure what to do, he doesn't want to interrupt his dad and Lily's nice evening, but he might have to.

"Okay, well um…let's get you changed into your pajamas and maybe watch a movie? If it gets worse, I promise I will call your mom and dad." Alex nods and lifts her arms up so Dan can take her out of the high chair. He tries to set her down, but Alex has her arms tightly coiled around his neck. This is a sign that she doesn't feel good; Alex never likes to be carried. Dan uses his free hand that isn't holding Alex to feel her forehead, she is somewhat warm. He sighs, he will have to call his dad and Lily back, but he is going to change Alex first.

Lily comes up behind Rufus while he washing their dishes. She loops both of her arms around his torso and stands on her tip toes to brush a kiss to the nape of his neck.

"Are you going to help or distract me?" Rufus asks teasingly. Lily rests her head on his back,

"Hmm…both?" Rufus discards the dish into the sink and twirls in her arms to face her. They start swapping kisses back and forth as they stagger towards the couch.

"Ugh…not again," Rufus grumbles when his phone rings.

"Ignore it," Lily mutters, scattering kisses on his neck.

"I can't, it's Dan," Rufus hits the talk button on his phone and can hear muffled voices on the phone.

"Dad? Are you there?" Dan asks as he sets Alex down on her bed.

"Ah…" Rufus groans, shooting a glare at Lily, silently asking her to stop kissing him while he is on the phone. "What's up son?" Lily lowers her head and lifts up Rufus' shirt, sucking on his skin.

"Sorry to bother you, but Alex says her stomach hurts and she has a tiny fever. What should I do?" Rufus reaches down to swat at Lily who has a mischievous twinkle in her chocolate orbs. Lily shakes her head at him and dips her tongue into his belly button, causing Rufus to clamp down on his lips to trap the moan in his mouth.

"Did she throw up?" Rufus' question catches Lily's attention, she immediately stops what she is doing and sits up. Her eyes soften with motherly concern, wondering what is wrong with their daughter.

"No, but I've never seen Alex this way. Look, I know that it was supposed to be you and Lily's night alone, but I think you two should come back here." Rufus sighs and starts gliding his fingertips over Lily's bare arm.

"Alright, we will be there as soon as possible. Just stay with Alex and maybe put a movie on in my office for her. Thanks Dan," Rufus hangs up the phone and sets it on his upper chest.

"What's up with Alex?" Lily inquires and gets off of Rufus, already gathering her stuff up to leave.

"Dan says that her stomach hurts and she has a fever. I'm sorry Lil, we will have to continue this later…again." Rufus gets off the couch and makes his way over to her. Lily softly smiles at him, reaching on her toes to press a kiss to his lips.

"No don't apologize, I had fun and this was a really nice idea. We will put Alex to bed and then we can have our time, okay?" Rufus flashes a grin and kisses her forehead. Lily snags his hand and leads the way out of the loft.

Dan picks Alex up off the bed and carries her into her dad's office. He chooses a random movie and slides into the DVD player. Alex snuggles closer to Dan and uses her monkey as a pillow.

"Your mom and dad will be here real soon Alex," Dan whispers to the toddler. Dan senses Alex nodding against his shirt and presses play on the movie.

Thirty minutes later, Lily and Rufus arrive back at the penthouse. Lily throws her stuff down on the counter and flips off her shoes, bolting up the stairs two at a time with Rufus on her heels.

"Hi mommy," Alex mutters softly, her eyes becoming cloudy with tears. Lily switches places with Dan and drops a kiss on Alex's head while the three-year-old cuddles as close to Lily as possible.

"She was fine until about dinnertime, she hasn't thrown up and her fever is very low," Dan informs his father who pats him on the back.

"Thanks Dan for watching her, I'll walk you out," Lily waves goodbye to Dan who waves back.

"Do you want to take a bath sweetie?" Lily asks Alex.

"Okay mommy," Lily scoops Alex up and takes her into the bathroom. Alex stands back while the water fills the tub. Lily helps her undress and eases her in the tub. Rufus heads back upstairs to find his wife and daughter in the bathroom.

"Hi daddy, I sick," Alex tells her father who shoves his hands in his pockets.

"I'm sorry Alex, we will get you better soon though, I promise." Rufus puts the toilet cover down so he can sit on it. Lily stretches out her legs on the bathroom floor and rests her back against the vanity.

"I pfink it was da cookie," Alex remarks, making her mother turn toward her father with her eyebrows raised.

"Cookie, huh?" The accusation flies out of Lily's lips and her husband blushes.

"It was a small price to pay to have her come grocery shopping with me." Lily rolls her eyes at him and grabs the baby shampoo bottle, squeezing a dollop into her hand in order to wash Alex's hair. They get Alex all cleaned up and into some new fresh pajamas before giving her some medicine.

"Daddy can I sweep in your bed?" Alex asks, jutting her lower lip out to further her cause. Rufus turns to Lily who shrugs; their romantic evening is already shot to hell, might as well have Alex sleep in their bed too. Rufus, Lily and Alex walk across the hall to the master bedroom. Alex climbs into their bed while Rufus and Lily go into their massive walk-in closet to change.

"Look at us, scrambling into our pajamas so we can sleep in either side of our sick daughter," Lily comments and slides out of her dress. Rufus' eyes flicker over to his wife, who is clad only in her black lace bra and panties. He suppresses the urge to have his way with her in their closet because he is aware Alex will be able to hear them. Rufus pulls his pajama bottoms up and reaches for a plain Kelly green t-shirt.

"Did you ever think that we would be doing this?"

"What? Being responsible parents?" Lily asks sarcastically as she fiddles with her lilac nightgown.

"I was thinking more along the lines of us having a toddler and you being pregnant with our third child." Rufus turns to face her, enveloping her in his arms. Lily sets her palms on his shoulder and stamps a kiss to his lips.

"Oh right…no I never did, but I am glad we are." Rufus reaches behind to unravel her bun, watching her blonde ringlets cascade down her shoulders.

"Me too, we do a pretty damn good job with our kids." Rufus nuzzles his nose against hers and presses a kiss to the tip of it.

"I think you are better at raising kids than you were making music." Lily teases, just to irritate her husband.

"Hey, I was a rock star once."

"Oh my god, you were? When?" Lily feigns a shocked expression and starts walking toward their bed where their daughter is already nestled under the covers. Lily gets in on her side of the bed and pulls Alex close to her. Rufus joins his wife and daughter, reaching over to kiss Alex's forehead and Lily's lips. Alex twines her fingers around her monkey and closes her eyes. Both Rufus and Lily pretend to drift off to sleep to until Rufus hears Alex start to snore softly.

"Lil, I think she is asleep now," Rufus whispers over to his wife, who still has her eyes closed. "Lily? Are you awake?" He uses the pad of his thumb to swipe gently across her cheek. _Shit_. Lily has actually fallen asleep, putting a damper on his plan to sneak out with her. He carefully scoots out of bed, picks Alex up, carries her back into her room and tucks her in under the covers of her own bed. Rufus gives her one final goodnight kiss and closes the door behind him.

The following morning, Rufus' eyes flutter open when he hears Lily groan. He suppresses a smile, as happy as he is that they are expecting again, he is well aware that morning sickness took a toll on Lily last time. He can't imagine what it is like to be throwing up throughout the day for almost three months. Rufus decides to be the best expectant father he can be and get out of bed to provide support for his wife. He pads into the bathroom and swings open the door, seeing only the top of Lily's head, the rest is buried in the toilet. She heaves and coughs a few times before flushing. Rufus sits down next to her, gently tucking her hair back while Lily rests her elbows on the edge of the toilet seat.

"I hate you," Lily whispers and leans into him, causing Rufus to loosely drape his arms around her. She can sense Rufus' laughing by the vibration of his chest and cracks a tiny smile.

"No you don't," Rufus says with confidence, extending an arm to grab a towel hanging over the counter. He hands it to her so she can wipe off her mouth and the sweat on her forehead.

"You are the one who got me pregnant, for the third time." Lily lets the towel fall to the floor as her face starts paling. She cocoons herself around the toilet, waiting for the next wave to crash over her. Rufus rubs soothing circles on her back while she heaves. He doesn't want to respond until he is sure she is done.

"I don't remember you complaining yesterday or while it was happening. In fact, all I remember you saying is 'oh god, Rufus, more'." Lily whips her head around to glare at him; she is so not in the mood to be mocked right now.

"We were in a confined space and you jumped me, I thought I might as well enjoy it."

"I jumped you? I'm pretty sure it was the other way around sweetheart." Lily shakes her head at him, a paper thin smile forming on her face.

"Regardless of who was the jumper and the jumped upon, _your _child is making me throw up again. I never had this problem with Serena and Eric." Rufus raises his eyebrows at her,

"Oh? Well I am so sorry for giving you two and soon-to-be three awesome kids, I will never do it again." Lily throws up again and flushes the toilet, casting a death glare at Rufus for laughing at her.

"Stop laughing at me or I will unleash my mother upon you and I promise you won't like that." Rufus' eyes widen, feigning fear.

"That's more of a punishment for you than me, Lil." Lily's shoulders slump, he is unfortunately right about that.

"Fine I will…" Lily is cut off by Alex crying and loses her joking attitude, instantly becoming worried about their daughter.

"I'll take care of it Lil," Rufus starts getting up, but Lily tugs on the hem of his green t-shirt, pulling him in for a kiss. "EW!" he squeals and pulls back.

"That is payback, now go," Lily uses her hand to lightly push him out of the room. Rufus forget to close the bathroom door behind him and swiftly walks into their daughter's room. Alex is on the floor crying, making Rufus think she fell out of her bed. He kneels down and picks her up, gliding his hand up and down her back until she feels better.

"Did you fall out of bed Al?" Rufus asks, using his special nickname for his daughter. Rufus senses a nod on his shoulder and a loud sniff stemming from Alex.

"I was sweepin and then I go boom! It hurt daddy," Alex pulls back to show Rufus the non-existent scrapes on her elbow.

"Oh no! Should we go to the doctor Al?" Alex's lips turn down, she has a feeling her daddy isn't taking her seriously.

"Daddy, dis is 'mportant! Don't be diculous." Rufus gives his daughter a close lipped smirk, impressed that his daughter can pick up the playfulness of his tone at such a young age.

"Where did you hear the word _ridiculous_ from?" Rufus sets Alex down on her bed and sits down next to her. Alex crawls into her father's lap, grasping onto a clump of fabric.

"You tell mommy dat you work too much. She say don't be diculous Wufus." Rufus quirks an eyebrow, he had no idea that Alex was in the room for that conversation, let alone remember it word for word.

"Your mommy is mean sometimes," Rufus says and tickles his daughter to make her laugh. Alex's high pitch giggles reverberate around the room as she tries to get away from her father.

"I go look for mommy and tell her dat!" Alex threatens and bolts out of the room. Rufus hurries behind her, he sure that Lily doesn't want Alex to see her throwing up nor does she want to explain the reason why. That comes tonight when all of their kids come for a mandatory dinner.

"Alex, wait," Rufus catches up to her and scoops her off the ground, but their daughter already sees Lily puking in the toilet. Alex loses her joking demeanor, returning to a more alarmed expression.

"Mommy?" Alex squeaks out, prying herself out of her father's arms to inch slowly towards her mother. Lily's eyes flicker up to Rufus, wordlessly asking him why Alex is in here. Rufus shrugs, silently communicating to her that he had no control over it.

"I'm fine sweetie, I just feel sick like you did last night." Lily attempts to pacify her daughter while combing Alex's bed head into a recognizable part. Alex relaxes slightly and so do Lily and Rufus when they notice that their daughter bought her lie.

"I feel lot better now. I take care of you mommy! Tywer and I play doctor last night!" Lily immediately looks up at her husband whose mouth is agape.

"That's very sweet honey, I bet you and Tyler had a lot of fun." Lily loves the fact that Rufus is so uncomfortable with Alex being friends with Tyler. They are three-years-old, nowhere near dating age. Still, Rufus has his reservations about the adorable bright eyed boy.

"Yup! Oh, mommy I tell you secret," Alex steps closer to loudly whisper something into Lily's ear, which Rufus knows is about what he said in Alex's bedroom about his wife. Alex steps back, smiling brightly at her mother who seems like she is about to murder her father. Lily reaches over to feel Alex's forehead, which isn't warm. It looks like Alex was right about feeling better.

"Do you feel well enough to go to school today Alex?" Lily asks with concern.

"Yup! I go dress now," Alex leaves her mom and dad to talk in the bathroom while she goes to get changed.

"All joking aside, do you need anything honey?" Rufus asks Lily, bending down to be eye level with her.

"I think I am just going to go back to bed for a while. Do you mind picking up some ginger ale or tea? They helped with the morning sickness last time."

"Of course, I'll get you some crackers too after I drop Alex off at school." Lily gives him one of her 'you're wonderful' smiles and presses a kiss to her cheek.

"Thank you, I don't think I could throw up in a toilet without you." Rufus grabs both of Lily's hands to ease her to her feet.

"Aw, how romantic," Rufus says sarcastically and compresses a kiss to her temple. Lily laughs and starts to brush her teeth although she is sure that she isn't done throwing up for the day. Rufus reaches down to grab the bucket out of the vanity and wraps an arm firmly around Lily's waist. They slowly walk back to the bed, but Lily stops halfway and heaves into the bucket. Rufus is instantly combing her hair back and massaging her back until she is done.

"Ugh…" Lily grumbles and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. Rufus takes the bucket from her and sets it on the floor. Rufus pulls back the covers and tucks Lily in. Lily feels weak, and for once doesn't mind being treated like a child.

"I'll refill the bucket and then I have to take care of Alex. I'll be back after I drop her off and run to the store okay?" Lily nods, her eyes already starting to close. Rufus sweeps his lips across her skin and takes the bucket into the bathroom. He empties it out and goes back to set it close to the bed. Lily is already fast asleep, coiling her fingers around Rufus' pillow.

Rufus heads into Alex's room after he gets dressed, expecting his impatient daughter to be irritated for having to wait so long, but she isn't there. He is confused, where could Alex have gone? Rufus walks back into the master bedroom, but she isn't in there. The only other place he could think of is the kitchen. Suddenly, Rufus hears a loud bang, confirming his thought. He rushes downstairs and sees Alex surrounded by pots and pans that fell to the floor.

"Alex, what are you doing?" Rufus asks out of curiosity, trying to show Alex that he isn't mad. Alex surveys the damage and points to a pan.

"I was tryin to make food, but it fall." _Oh, _Rufus gets it now, he is impressed, but Alex is too young to be cooking herself breakfast.

"That was a very nice thought Alex, but I would rather make you some breakfast instead. I don't want you to hurt yourself." The three-year-old takes a second to process what her father is telling her and then nods.

"Okay, I have waffles pwease?"

"Sure honey, I will make you some waffles before school."

Rufus drops Alex off at the preschool and then heads to the grocery store to buy some stuff for his wife. He comes back with ginger ale, herbal tea, crackers and cinnamon toast. Rufus makes some tea and toast to bring up to Lily.

"Hi," Lily mumbles her voice still thick with sleep. Rufus opens the door wider with his hip and sets the stuff down on her nightstand.

"Hi, are you feeling better?" Rufus asks as Lily grabs the tea and sits up in bed.

"Yeah, but the same thing is going to happen tomorrow. Thank you though for the tea and toast, you are too good to me." Lily grabs his hand, pulling him down to sit on the edge of her bed.

"Don't mention it; is there anything you can take for the nausea?" Lily shrugs,

"I don't know I will have to ask the doctor at our next appointment. Oh, what time is it by the way?"

"A little after ten, It took a little longer than yesterday to drop off Alex. I had to convince her that you weren't dying before she went inside the classroom." Lily chuckles into her coffee mug,

"Our daughter is so sweet; I have no idea where she got that from." Rufus squeezes her hand,

"Are you ever going to get out of this bed?" Lily scoffs and sets her empty mug on the nightstand.

"Of course, I am going to pick Alex up from school and then…maybe take her out to lunch and shopping depending on how I feel. She has been so good these past few days; I think she deserves a treat." Rufus nods in agreement,

"Just don't spoil our little secret before tonight." He sets his free hand on her stomach over the sheets.

"I'll try not to; I want all the kids besides Scott to find out at the same time. I should attempt to get ready for the day."

"Okay, I am going to head to the gallery and be home in time to cook dinner. I will see you later," Rufus gives her a fleeting kiss on the lips and heads out.

By dinnertime, the kids slowly start to trickle in while Rufus is making their dinner.

"Hey, where are my mom and Alex?" Eric asks, wondering why her energetic half-sister hasn't greeted them yet. Rufus spins around at the sound of his step-son's voice, wielding a spatula.

"Lil took Alex shopping about…four hours ago. They should be back soon, maybe."

"What's with this mandatory dinner thing?" Dan inquires and walks over to the fridge to hand Rufus a potato. Rufus turns his head slightly to see Jenny, Eric, Serena and Dan staring back at him, eyes wide with interest.

"You will have to wait until Lily and Alex get back to find out. I don't divulge state secrets without approval from the boss."

"Oh, this sounds serious," Jenny comments and goes to the fridge to get herself a soda.

"It is does anyone have an idea as to where Chuck is? He should be here by now." Rufus normally wouldn't care, but he knows that it is important to Lily that he is here.

"I don't know, I think one of he and Blair's games resulted in a fight again, but I'll text him anyway." Serena snatches her phone off the counter while the other kids mull around the kitchen, waiting for Lily and Alex to get back or Rufus to finish with dinner.

About ten minutes later, the elevator door dings open. Everyone turns their heads to see who it is. Serena, Rufus, Eric, Dan and Jenny see Alex run into the kitchen, her bags flapping at her sides. Lily trails behind with her own purchases, setting them down on the couch before rushing over to greet her family. Alex is passed from child to child, until she demands to be put on the floor so she can put her bags in her room. Lily hugs and kisses each of her and Rufus' children. She rounds the counter to step into Rufus' arms. The kids divert their attention elsewhere while Lily and Rufus kiss each other. When they separate, Rufus drapes an arm around Lily's waist.

"Did you tell them yet?" Lily asks her husband, tilting her head up to smile at him.

"No, I thought we agreed to wait," Rufus mumbles back to her, making their kids lean in to hear their conversation.

"Tell us what?" Serena asks, her patience running thin.

"Well we wanted to tell you in person, all of you…wait, where's Chuck?" Lily frowns, questioning why she hasn't noticed her son's presence beforehand. Alex comes out of her room and rejoins her family in the kitchen, also wondering where her favorite sibling is.

"Mommy, where's Chuck?" Alex asks with a pout. Lily hoists Alex onto the kitchen counter while Serena checks her phone, unlocking her cell to read the text from Chuck.

"I'm sorry mom, Chuck isn't coming. He is probably wallowing in self pity after his fight with Blair last night." Serena tells her mother, watching a scowl overtake Lily's features. Rufus is disappointed in Chuck, the youngest Bass made Lily so happy yesterday when he said that he was coming to a family event and then he bails. Lily desperately tries to pretend that she isn't upset by Chuck not being here, she is still going to tell their kids regardless.

"What's dat mean Sewena?" Alex asks her half-sister. Serena glances down at Alex,

"What does what mean Alex?"

"Wawowing in sef pity," Alex repeats the best she can. Serena looks up at Lily and Rufus, silently asking them if she can explain. Rufus shrugs and turns back to the stove.

"Um…it means that Chuck is sad that he and Blair aren't getting along right now," Serena explains to Alex.

"Oh! Well he say he sowwy like daddy and mommy do when day fight!" Alex tells Serena with confidence, thinking that she has Chuck and Blair's complex relationship figured out at the tender age of three.

"What happens after mom and dad say they are sorry Alex?" Dan asks, well aware that he is playing with fire. Alex doesn't seem to care because she continues on.

"Den day kiss…_a lot _and smile too. Sometimes day go upstairs to pway, but day don't have toys." Serena, Eric, Dan, Rufus, Lily and Jenny's mouth drop open at Alex's observation.

"It's always interesting to get a three-year-olds perspective huh?" Eric asks uncomfortably. Jenny high fives Alex after her comment on Lily and Rufus' relationship. The little girl has stones, even though she is blissfully unaware of what she is implying.

"On that note, dinner is ready." Rufus carefully dumps the steaks onto a giant plate to bring into the dining room. Everyone grabs a dish and goes to find their seats. Rufus grabs his wife's hand, tugging on it slightly. He furrows his eyebrows when he realizes Lily isn't walking with him. Lily stays rooted to the ground, chewing nervously on her bottom lip. Rufus senses her trepidation and walks over to her, putting a hand on each of her hips.

"I am scared Rufus, what if they don't take the news well?" Lily whispers to her husband.

"They might be caught off guard at first, but they will be happy for us, I promise," Rufus cups her cheek and stamps a kiss to her lips. Lily nods and clasps Rufus' hand in her own, taking them to the two empty seats next to each other.

The kids are already conversing amongst each other, trying to figure out what the big secret is. Serena thinks she already knows, but wants confirmation from her mother.

"Okay, everyone is here, will you please tell us what is going on?" Jenny asks Rufus. Lily and Rufus wink at each other, each telling the other person to go first.

"Lil's just shy, so I guess I will have to say it. We are having another baby," Rufus exclaims, relishing in the astounded look on his and Lily's kids.

"Yes! I win, pay up losers," Serena gloats. Rufus and Lily look at each other with confusion as Eric, Dan and Jenny slide twenties in Serena's direction.

"You guys bet on us?" Lily turns to Rufus, he had no idea about this either.

"Well, we were tipped off when you guys ordered us to come to the penthouse for dinner tonight especially given that we all saw each other yesterday." Dan defends his step-sister.

"So…we thought it would be fun to bet on what the announcement was." Jenny picks up where Dan left off.

"Exactly, I bet on you two having another baby, Eric had…uh…family vacation, Jenny was thinking divorce, and Dan was…what was your guess Dan?"

"I was guessing either death in the family or Lily's supposed cancer was back since she fainted last night."

"Huh…" Lily says and leans back in her chair, casting a glance at Rufus who is staring at Alex. The toddler has been silent and frantically gazing around the dining room as if she is searching for something.

"What's wrong Alex?" Rufus asks. Alex rolls her eyes as if it is obvious.

"Where is the baby?" Alex wonders, ducking her head to look on the floor.

"The baby is in mommy's belly," Rufus tells his daughter, putting his hand on his wife's stomach for emphasis.

"Why?"

"The baby has to grow inside of mommy first so it is healthy. The baby should be here in May before summer." Rufus says, taking his hand off of his wife's abdomen to throw over her chair. Lily can tell Alex isn't convinced so she stands up and walks over to her Prada bag.

"Darling, do you still have the ultrasound picture?" Lily asks while taking out various items in her purse.

"Yeah, I put it in my wallet on the counter," Rufus calls back. Lily huffs and puts everything back in her bag. She goes into Rufus' wallet and takes out the folded piece of paper. Then, Lily returns to the dining room and bends down next to Alex.

"The baby is right there," Lily tells her daughter, pointing to a whitish blob in the middle of the screen.

"It's a dot mommy," Alex says bluntly while studying the picture. Lily kisses Alex's cheek and stands up, passing the picture to Serena who is sitting next to Alex before going back in her seat next to her husband.

"That's crazy, the baby is so tiny," Serena comments as she is looking at the picture. Rufus shrugs and takes a sip of his beer.

"Where are babies from?" Alex asks, making the older kids laugh and Rufus choke on his drink.

"Um…well…you see Alex…babies…come from…" Rufus fumbles on his words, desperately looking to his wife to answer the question. Lily bites on the inside of her cheek, somehow she was expecting this question from her inquisitive daughter; she just didn't have an answer prepared.

"Babies…come from mommies. You have to be a mommy to have a baby, that's why Serena and Jenny don't have babies because they aren't mommies yet," Lily explains to Alex, although her explanation doesn't make any sense. Alex seems to accept this answer and the table goes back to normal chatter about the impending arrival.

After dinner, Alex insists on everyone coming upstairs to her room to play with her new toys. Serena and Lily hang back to clean up the dishes since Rufus cooked.

"Babies come from mommies? Is that what you and dad told me when you were pregnant with Eric?" Serena asks Lily, enjoying the fierce blush forming on her mother's cheeks.

"You never asked." Lily rinses some of the dishes and puts them in the dishwasher.

"Mom, why are you cleaning? I have never seen you clean before." Lily shrugs and leaves the rest of the dirty dishes in the sink. Serena and Lily transition over to the couch and Lily watches her daughter fiddle with her cobalt necklace.

"Is something on your mind Serena?" Serena averts Lily's gaze,

"No…why would you think that?"

"According to Rufus, I fidget with my jewelry too when I am nervous about something." Serena nibbles on her lower lip, mentally debating whether she should confide in her mother or not. It's not something she has done in the past, but it might help now.

"Can I ask you a really cheesy question that I can't even believe I am asking?" Lily smirks at her eldest daughter, amused by her nervousness.

"Of course my darling, what is on your mind?"

"How did you know that Rufus is…um…'the one' I guess…?" Lily didn't expect this question from Serena; her daughter usually seems hesitant to open up, a trait Serena acquired from her.

"Well…" Lily trails off, baffled by the fact that even after almost twenty five of being in love with Rufus, she can't put it into words. "I don't think you know per se, it's more being in love with that person and accepting them for who they are."

"And does he, accept you?"

"There are things about me that I am sure he would like to change and vice versa, but it's about compromise. Rufus makes me want to be a better person and I love him for that." Lily can't believe that she just said those words to her daughter whose azure eyes are staring at her in shock. This is probably the biggest heart-to-heart they ever had.

"Wow…I have never heard you talk like that ever." Lily ducks her head at Serena's remark.

"Yeah…well…why did you ask?"

"I think I might feel that way about someone, but I don't want to give details away until I know for sure."

"I understand shall we go see what the rest of the family is doing?" Lily asks, respecting her daughter's need for space.

"Actually, I am going to head off, I need to play peacemaker for Chuck and Blair. Thanks for the talk though and congratulations mom," Serena hugs her mother and takes the elevator. Lily walks upstairs into Alex's room to find her family engaged in a tea party.

"Hey mommy, you sit by daddy," Alex points to an empty spot next to Rufus. Lily accepts her empty tea glass and sits on the floor next to Rufus. He gives her a quick kiss near her ear as she nudges her shoulder against his.

"Where did Serena go?" Rufus asks Lily.

"She had some business to take care of with Chuck and Blair. How is the tea party going?"

"It's…going I guess, our daughter has a need to be in control…I wonder where she got that from."

"I never hear you complaining." Rufus scoffs and pulls his wife closer to him, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. The older kids and adults indulge Alex for a little while longer until they have had enough. Jenny, Dan and Eric sneak out, offering congratulatory hugs to Lily and Rufus.

"I'll put her to bed and see you there?" Rufus proposes to his wife.

"Okay, night Alex I love you," Lily gives Alex a huge kiss to the cheek, causing Alex to giggle.

"Night mommy I wuv you too," Alex hugs her mother's legs briefly before letting her go. Rufus ushers Alex into the bathroom to brush her teeth and go to the bathroom one final time before bed. He has her changed into fresh PJ's and tucked in bed rather quickly. Rufus walks over to Alex's bookshelf, but the toddler stops her. He sits on the edge of the bed, watching Alex twirl her monkey.

"What's up Al?" Rufus asks his daughter.

"Wanna talk daddy." He anticipated this and knows exactly what she wants to talk about so he readjusts to stretch his legs across the toddler bed.

"About the baby I am guessing." Alex nods her head and folds her monkey under her chin. "What do you want to know?"

"Can she sweep wif me?" Alex smiles up at him with hope.

"Not for a long time," Rufus tells her. He hasn't thought about where they are going to put the new baby until now. "When the baby is born, it will probably end up sleeping in my office."

"She not an it, Daddy," she informs him.

"Alex," Rufus realizes this is going to be unpleasant, "the baby might not be a girl. You might be getting a little brother instead."

"No way, Daddy," Alex refuses to entertain such a horrific possibility. "I need a sister."

"Sweetie, your mom and I don't get to choose though. In fact, mommy wanted you to be a boy, but just because you are a girl doesn't mean she loves you any less right? I promise, even if the baby is a boy, we will be happy." Alex taps her chin, deciding whether to accept what her father is telling her.

"I guess a boy is okay, but I want girl." Rufus stands up and brushes a blonde ringlet out of her face before kissing her forehead.

"I know Alex, I do too, goodnight, and I love you." Rufus shuts the door behind him, hearing Alex's high pitch giggle follow him as he makes his way to the master bedroom. He sees their bed untouched so he goes into the closet.

Rufus hovers in the entrance of their walk-in closet, spotting Lily in her scarlet bra with matching underwear, scrutinizing herself in the mirror. He has a feeling he is the only person who is privy to this side of Lily, the insecure side of her. She is never one to speak of her flaws, preferring to keep them locked away.

He watches his wife toss some golden tendrils aside to palpate the miniscule scar on her forehead, moving her fingers down to the wrinkles in the cervices of her eyes, the brackets around her mouth, down her neck and chest, finally splashing her hand across her flat, creamy stomach.

"How long have you been standing there?" Lily asks, her way of giving him permission to join her. Rufus advances toward her, crossing his hands over her abdomen.

"Not long, you okay?" Lily nods, evading Rufus' question. "I'm sorry Chuck wasn't here today." She tilts her head back onto Rufus' shoulder, placing her hands over his.

"Don't be, I kind of knew he wasn't going to come. As much as I love him, Charles has some family issues he needs to work out on his own. I think I pressured him without meaning to."

"Lil, don't blame yourself for Chuck's shortcomings." She does though, she takes her children's mistakes as her own, which is something he loves and hates about her. Lily twists in his arms, already peeling his olive polo off of him, throwing it towards the back of the closet. Rufus doesn't ask her anymore about Chuck, he realizes that she isn't going to divulge her feelings about her son to him right now.

He leans into the kiss, tasting the desperation ebbing from her lips from their two day fast. Lily drapes her arms around his shoulders, blindly walking them towards their bed as they lob kisses back and forth. Rufus lowers onto the bed more careful than usual and then turns them over, wanting her to be on top to be safe.

"Wait, I didn't get your pants off yet," Lily flips them over again, focusing on the task of getting Rufus undressed while he buries himself in the curve of her neck, assaulting it with kisses.

"Hurry up," Rufus mumbles, his words bouncing off her skin.

"Stop…distracting me," Lily loops her fingers around his belt loops, yanking his pants and boxers down to his ankles. Rufus kicks them off and twists so Lily is on top of him once more. He unclasps her bra, his hands going to the front of her to gently caress her breasts. Lily whimpers slightly and Rufus withdraws his hands, not sure if that was from pleasure or pain.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" He asks while gliding his hands down her torso.

"No, sorry I didn't mean to scare you," Lily captures his lips, swallowing his response to her mea culpa. She lifts her ass up slightly so he can inch her crimson panties off of her, tossing it with their other articles of clothing. He skims his finger over her peaked nipple, marveling in the surprised grin sweeping across Lily's mouth. He wraps his arm around her back, bringing her down to his lips, being sure to skate his tongue across her teeth. Her arms wrap around his neck, hearing a soft moan when Rufus enters inside of her with one smooth stroke.

"Oh…Lil," tumbles out of Rufus mouth as their lips part causing Lily to roll her hips so her mouth heads towards her husband's collar bone.

"Damn Rufus," Lily whispers into his soft skin, sensing his hand diverting from her back down her ribs to her hip. Lily pops her head up, locking eyes with her husband. He smiles and rakes his fingers through her hair, gently forcing her to interlock their lips.

As if reading her mind, Rufus angles his hips in a different direction, pumping in and out of her in a natural rhythm.

Lily counters his movements by flexing the muscles deep inside her pelvis, watching with delight as Rufus takes in a sharp breath.

"Oh Lil...I love it when you do that." He confesses to her with a rugged voice, keeping his gaze locked upon her while holding nothing back in his adoration of how truly amazing she is to him.

The toned biceps in his arms flex as rolls his hips towards her once more with her pushing up her pelvis to meet him. The palms of his hands staying planted firmly on the mattress below them as he lifts himself up a bit more from her body and entered a little deeper inside of her, causing Lily to grip onto his shoulders tightly while arching her back.

"Oh yes, right there." She whispers up to him, tempting him with soft kisses to his chin.

Rufus lowers his head and captures the next kiss from her with a deep moan escaping from his throat. He lowers his eyes, drinking in every feature of his wife's salient face. Her thin lips, gorgeous blonde hair whipping against her shoulders, and strong cheekbones are enough to undo him.

Lily gasps and feels her legs, locking at the ankles as she begins to unravel around him. She lets herself go, her only concern right now is making sure her husband accompanies her in this blissful state.

It doesn't take long after Lily climaxes that Rufus follows. He shudders slightly and grips onto his wife's hips harder, creating half-moons on her flesh. Lily collapses onto Rufus' upper chest, swaddling herself in the scent of his cologne. Rufus is caught off guard for a second, but brings his hand up to adoringly squeeze her shoulder.

"Wow…that was…" Lily trails off and moves off of him, reaching for her pillows.

"Amazing? Yeah I thought so," Rufus laughs as he drops a kiss onto his wife's forehead.

"What did you and Alex talk about? You were gone for a while." Rufus turns his head to look at her, watching the moonlight dance across her features.

"She insists that she needs another sister. I had to inform her that the reality is we have no control over the gender of our child."

"You know Alex is going to have an absolute meltdown if the baby is a boy right?"

"Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less. I think we can talk of her off a cliff though."

"I find it funny that the older kids bet on our secret today. I didn't think one of the options was us getting divorce though." Lily muses, switching topics away from their daughter.

"Yeah I found that amusing too, did it upset you?" Rufus is interested as to why Lily brought this up.

"A little, I just our kids would have faith in us sometimes. I mean, obviously I know it's hard for them, especially Serena and Eric, because I have been divorced so many times, but...sometimes I feel like they are just waiting for us to screw up." For some reason, that confession makes Lily feel embarrassed, she didn't mean to voice her darkest reservations about their relationship. Rufus rolls a strand of her silky hair between his fingers, needing a second to think.

"I can agree and disagree with that statement. The kids get skeptical about us surviving together when we fight, which they have a right to. However, I think after all this time, especially after we told them about the baby; they are starting to come around. In fact, your daughter sent me a text after she left earlier tonight."

"She did? What did it say?" Lily didn't know about this and is hoping that Serena didn't repeat anything of what she said to her to Rufus. Rufus fumbles for his phone on the nightstand, pulling up the text and hands it to Lily.

**Rufus, this text probably won't make sense to you, but thanks anyway.**

**-S.**

"Do you know anything about this?" Rufus puts his phone back and gathers Lily into his arms.

"Can we talk about it tomorrow?"

"Sure, in the bathroom tomorrow morning?" Rufus asks, realizing that she is going to have morning sickness again.

"It's a date," Lily reaches up to plant a kiss on Rufus' lips before resting her head onto his shoulder.

**A/N 2: That's all I got for now, I really hope you guys enjoyed it and want more. Next chapter, Rufus and Lily celebrate their anniversary…kind of. Reviews are always appreciated and thanks for stopping by!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for all the lovely comments, I appreciate them so much! I have no idea when Lily and Rufus' actual anniversary is so I'm just going to guess. This chapter is for sure rated M, I hope you like!**

**Chapter** **Two**

"Rufus?" The tone in Lily's voice alone makes Rufus groan. He knows what's coming and he isn't looking forward to it. Lily makes her way toward him, looping her arms around his waist.

"What can I help you with Lily?" A pleading grin forms onto Lily's mouth as her eyes flicker up to his. She glides her tongue across her teeth before responding.

"Could you go get me some fries please?"

"Here's a better idea, why don't you get the fries that you want?" Rufus proposes, but Lily shakes her head.

"I can't because Serena is coming over with some kind of emergency. Please Rufus, at least I'm not asking at two in the morning like last time." Lily rubs her hands up and down Rufus' arms. He sighs, essentially giving in.

"Fine, I will buy your fries after I pick Alex up from school, but you owe me." Lily brushes a kiss to his lips,

"Add it to my tab. Now go," They separate from each other and Lily pushes him toward the elevator.

"So demanding," Rufus steals a kiss from her on his way out. He takes the car to Alex's preschool and waits outside of his daughter's classroom.

Lily barely has a chance to sit down before Serena comes bursting through the penthouse in a panic.

"Mom! I am so glad that you are here," Serena sets her purse down on the counter and sits by Lily on the couch.

"What's wrong Serena?" Lily turns to face her daughter.

"Blair's birthday party for next week is canceled because she is going to Paris on her actual birthday. She is freaking out so…" Serena breaks off, shooting her mother a guilty expression.

"What did you do Serena?" Serena holds up her hands in defense.

"Nothing, I was wondering if we could have the party here…tomorrow?"

"Darling, tomorrow is me and Rufus' anniversary, I don't know if that would work." Serena sighs in defeat; she really needs Lily to agree to having the party at the penthouse otherwise her plan will collapse.

"Please mom, I don't know what else to do, you know how horrible Blair is when she doesn't get what she wants." Lily sees the desperation etched in Serena's features and she caves.

"Alright, I guess the party can be moved here, but how are you going to pull together Blair's birthday party in a day?" Serena swats her hand in the air,

"Please, I put your wedding together in less time remember? Plus, I already have everything organized, thanks mom!" Serena says as she is rushing toward the elevator.

"Serena, hold on…" Lily calls after her when she realizes that her daughter manipulated her. Serena is already gone, leaving Lily feeling confused.

Serena luckily makes it to the elevator in time before her mom has a chance to stop her. She pulls out her phone and dials Blair's number.

"Hey S, did your mom fall for it?" Blair asks her best friend while sorting through her closet.

"Yeah, I think she has an idea that we are doing something else though, but it worked."

"Good, I have to call Chuck, bye S." Serena and Blair hang up the phone with each other. Serena texts Dan and Eric saying that she is thrilled that their plan has worked and will see them at the party tomorrow with Rufus and Lily's surprise.

Rufus and Alex stop at a fast food drive thru before going back to the penthouse.

"Daddy why we here?" Alex asks, leaning forward in her car seat. Rufus orders the fries for Lily and burgers for him and Alex.

"I have to get mommy some fries," Rufus explains as the car pulls forward. Rufus hands some money to the driver and turns to face Alex. Alex is even more perplexed by this, her mom never eats fries.

"What? Mommy don't like fwies," Alex declares as the food is being passed back to them. Rufus isn't exactly sure how to explain pregnancy cravings to a three-year-old.

"Uh…well…um sometimes mommy eats foods that she doesn't normally eat because…uh…the baby wants them." Alex spurts her eyebrows together; this kind of makes sense to her.

"Oh, silwy baby," Alex mumbles, tossing back her blonde hair. Rufus shakes his head at the toddler and turns up the air conditioning, it is freakishly warm for October which is good for his anniversary surprise to Lily.

They get home with Alex being the first one out of the elevator as usual. Lily is flipping through paperwork at the desk when she hears the door ding open. Alex runs over to her, excited to tell her about her day at school while Rufus hangs back, holding her precious fries. Lily picks Alex up and walks over to Rufus, kissing him while reaching for the bag.

"Thank you my darling," Lily tells her husband and takes the food out of the bag for them to eat at the table. Alex gets strapped in and asks for her favorite pink sippy cup to be filled with juice. Rufus gets it for her and sits down next to his wife.

"Mommy, why baby want dat?" Alex asks, pointing to the fries.

"I'm not sure, we will have to ask him or her later," Lily winks at Rufus, obviously catching on that he tried to explain the need behind the fries to their daughter.

"I pfink the baby is hungy like me." Alex takes a huge bite of her burger, smearing ketchup all over her cheek. Lily bites back laughter, her daughter's logic does make sense.

"I think your right Alex."

Lily puts Alex down for her nap after they eat lunch and goes downstairs, spotting Rufus behind the counter, sorting through their mail. She hasn't told him about the party she agreed to host tomorrow because she is scared that he is going to get mad at her.

"Hey, anything good?" Lily starts out casually, walking over to stand next to him.

"Nah, but I do have something to tell you." Rufus throws the mail down and twists to face his wife. Lily quirks an eyebrow, she has a terrible feeling that whatever he wants to share with her has to do with their anniversary tomorrow.

"What's up?" Rufus sneaks his arms behind her waist, placing them on the small of her back.

"I was thinking that we could go to the Hamptons this weekend for our anniversary."

"Oh…" is all Lily can come up with. Of course Rufus wants to go this weekend out of all the weekends in the summer when they could have gone.

"Oh? That's not exactly the reaction I was hoping for. Do you not want to go?" Lily shakes her head vigorously back and forth,

"No, I do, it's just that I promised Serena that we could have Blair's birthday party here, at the penthouse, tomorrow." Rufus drops his hands from his back and crosses his arms.

"Why didn't you ask me about this first considering tomorrow is our anniversary?" Lily rolls her eyes; she doesn't want to fight about their potential anniversary plans.

"Rufus, this really isn't a big deal, we can leave for the Hamptons after the party."

"You're missing the point Lil."

"I know that the timing is inconvenient, but Serena needed my help. What was I supposed to do?"

"Tell her that tomorrow is not a good day or better yet, ask me about it first so we can plan our day around it."

"Rufus, it's too late for that."

"Fine! Then just forget it, we aren't going to the Hamptons."

"Fine!"

They lock eyes, both smoldering with frustration at each other. Suddenly they lunge at each other, their lips meeting in a passionate union. Rufus blindly reaches behind them and flings the mail off of the counter.

"I'm still mad at you," Lily mumbles against his lips as she twists.

"Me too," Rufus responds and hoists her on the cold granite counter top. "Why are we doing this?"

"Pregnancy hormones," Lily whispers and feels Rufus' hands get lost in her skirt, inching toward her panties. She moans into his mouth when his finger slips into the front of her panties, teasing her before inching them off of her legs. Lily reaches forward to roughly unbutton his pants, lowering his zipper, tugging them past his narrow hips and sending them to the floor along with the boxer briefs he is wearing.

In a frantic pace, Lily flips off her high heels, hearing them hit the floor as she scoots closer to her husband, feeling his arms coil securely around her. His strong hips part her thighs, opening them as wide as possible while she wraps her fingers around him, guiding him into her. Rufus pushes with his hips, causing Lily to throw her head back with a gasp. He starts nipping and sucking at her neck as he thrusts his hips against hers. Lily's back arches, she reaches forward and collects some of his chocolate tresses in her fingers.

"Do you like that Lil?" Rufus growls in a deep whisper when their foreheads meet.

"Yes don't stop," Lily mumbles without hesitation, her ankles lock behind him, her heels digging into his lower back as he picks up the pace.

"Say it again." Rufus commands, loving the tone in her voice right now that aches for him. He moves one of his hands to her ass and lifts it up slightly.

"_Yes…oh…..Rufus ….Yes!" _Lily cries out, trying to catch her breath with her hips flexing up and meeting his in an intense rhythm, feeling her body tremble deep inside of her, the spot that he is reaching as he fills her completely begins to pulse with electricity.

Rufus runs his warm mouth up the curve of her throat to her chin, pushing himself up on his toes, entering into her deeper still while groaning when her nails dig into his back.

When Lily's orgasm crashes into her a few seconds later with unbelievable force, she feels her world fall away. Rufus senses the vibration of the groan deep within his throat escape him, gripping the edge of the countertop harder with his left hand as the orgasm his wife has just experienced make her even tighter inside then she already is.

Rufus gasps, grinding her first name through his teeth as he climaxes, his body shuddering as he comes inside of her, his eyes flickering shut for a few seconds, taking a sharp breath and trying to stop himself from shaking as the tremors of his release ripple through his entire body.

"I don't think we have ever done that before," Lily says, each word staccato while she plays with the tufts of hair on the nape of Rufus' neck. Rufus needs a second to recover from their carnal union, but he eases off of her, not wanting to put pressure on her abdomen.

"No, I can't say we had angry and make up sex all in one. Are you okay? You aren't in any pain are you?" Rufus' fingertips graze over her stomach. Lily shakes her head on Rufus' shoulder, moving her arms to circle around his neck.

"I'm fine and I'm sorry," she lifts her head up, staring into his green eyes. Rufus smiles, tucking a stray strand of her golden hair back behind her ear.

"Me too, I didn't mean to yell at you. We can still go to the Hamptons after the party."

"I should have talked to you first, you were right." An arrogant smile splashes across Rufus' mouth and he drops her panties back in her hand. He winks at her before reaching down to grab his pants and boxers, jumping slightly so they reach his waist. He buttons his pants up and holds out his hand out for Lily, easing her off the counter. She falters on her feet a bit, but regains her footing rather quickly and slips her underwear back on.

"I think we were both just being stubborn," Rufus mutters as they collapse on the couch together. His arm naturally drapes across both of her shoulders. Lily puts a hand on his thigh,

"I can definitely agree with that. How about we plan out anniversary? We can do whatever we want." Rufus tilts his head down to meet her eyes,

"Okay, what would you like to do tomorrow?" Lily taps on her chin,

"Well, we could have breakfast together, take our daughter to school, shop, pack, party and then go to the Hamptons. Do we want to take Alex with us?" Rufus shrugs,

"I think we should since she hasn't been all summer. Besides, none of the kids are going to want to watch her while we are gone. Dan is still traumatized from last time when she got sick on his watch."

"Aw, your poor son," Lily giggles and rests her head on her husband's shoulder.

"We are so mean to him."

"Eh, I'm going to take a nap, would you like to join me?" Lily asks, her eyes pleading.

"I would love to, but I have to run to the gallery. I'll be back with dinner," Rufus kisses his wife in between her eyebrows and gets off the couch.

"Fine, I will sleep in our _huge, king-sized _bed all alone." Lily gets off the couch with her lower lip jutted out.

"Okay, have fun," Rufus leans in to kiss her one last time before leaving. Lily narrows her eyes at his retreating frame and heads upstairs.

Rufus comes back a few hours later with Chinese food clasped in his hands. Lily already has Alex situated in her high chair and plates out for them.

"I made dinner!" Rufus announces, setting the bag in the middle of the table. Lily rolls her eyes and starts preparing a plate for Alex. He sets the eggrolls to the side for his wife and grabs the orange chicken.

"So, Alex, what would you think of going to the Hamptons for the weekend?" Lily asks as she sits down on the other side of the high chair.

"Oh! I love dat place! When we go?" Alex is already mentally sifting through her clothes, debating what outfits to put in her tiny pink suitcase.

"Well…tomorrow we are having a party for Blair's birthday and our anniversary so after that." Lily explains and takes a sip of her water.

"What a nanversary?" Alex asks, her head swishing back and forth to look at both of her parents.

"An anniversary is when you celebrate each year on the day you got married. So, four years ago tomorrow mommy and I will have been married for four years." Rufus tells Alex, looking up when Lily clears her throat.

"Rufus…it's been five years…" Lily interjects.

"No, four," Rufus counters.

"Five, I can't believe you don't remember."

"Four, I'm surprised that you do."

"Well, this is my second longest marriage." Rufus grimaces at that statement and takes a second to think.

"Are you sure it's been five years?"

"I think so; Alex is three so we have been married five years… right?" Now Lily is unsure. How could they both not know how long they have been married?

"I think it's time to drag out our wedding album," Rufus suggests. Lily nods,

"I'm pretty sure I left it in your office."

"I'll get it when we are done eating."

"What's a album mommy?" Alex asks.

"We have pictures from our wedding in our album. It's like a book of pictures." Alex nods in understanding and takes a bite of chicken.

Lily and Alex throw away their dishes from dinner while Rufus goes to find the wedding album. He grabs it and goes back downstairs to sit next to Lily on the couch with Alex in his lap. Alex's eyes widen at the picture of Lily smiling at Rufus who is looking at the camera, their fingers are interlocked and they seem to be dancing.

"Dat's pwetty mommy!" Alex points as Rufus turns the page. The next picture is with Rufus, Lily and all their kids, including Chuck. This picture makes Alex upset for some reason. "Hey! Why am I not der?" Rufus and Lily look at each other and laugh.

"Alex, you weren't born yet. Daddy and I got married before you came along," Lily says and takes the family picture out of the covering, flipping it around to check the date stamp. "Ha! Check the date." Rufus takes the picture to confirm that his wife was right.

"Damn, it was five years ago, you were right." Lily glares at Rufus for the minor slip up in front of Alex, but the little girl has it covered.

"Daddy, dat _damn _word is bad, 'member?" Rufus' cheeks turn a rosy hue and Lily drops a kiss on Alex's head.

"She told you," Lily comments and turns to grab the two pictures from their wedding that were resting on the mantle. "Look Alex, these are from our wedding too." One is of her and Rufus kissing and the other is a shot of only Lily in her wedding dress.

"I like dat one, you two kiss in dat one, gwoss," Alex points to the one with just her mom instead of the picture of her parents. Lily sets the pictures back where they were as Rufus steals Alex, holding her high above his head. Alex lets out a high pitched squeal and holds out her arm for Lily. "Help mommy! Daddy gonna eat me!" Rufus puts her back in his lap and tickles her. Lily dodges a tiny foot heading straight for her stomach and puts an end to the tickle war.

"Okay, Alex go get dressed in your pajamas, I will be in your room to read you a story in a couple minutes." Lily instructs her daughter. Alex kisses Rufus' cheek, separating with a loud smack. The toddler hops off the couch, but turns to face her parents.

"Mommy and daddy?"

"Yes my darling?" Lily asks for the both of them.

"Can you have anoder weddin for me? Pwease? I wanna come." Rufus raises his eyebrows and turns to Lily. Fortunately, his wife is wearing the same confused expression as him.

"Well…sweetie it doesn't really work like that, but we will see what we can do, okay?"

"Okay, I go potty now," Alex runs upstairs to her bathroom, leaving Rufus and Lily baffled over their daughter's question.

"Another wedding? Where does she even come up with this stuff?" Rufus asks. Lily shrugs,

"I don't know, but it would be kind of fun to have another planned. I mean our wedding was so last minute and frantic…" The way Lily trails off makes Rufus think that his wife is actually considering Alex's request.

"Renewing our vows is kind of cheesy Lil." Lily shrugs against him and pats his thigh before standing up.

"Yeah I guess. I am going to put Alex to bed." Rufus watches Lily walk upstairs. Why does he suddenly feel bad for inadvertently shooting down her idea? He could tell that she half-heartedly agreed with his statement. Rufus wishes that sometimes Lily would open up and tell him what she really wanted instead of him having to guess. He sighs, runs his hands through his hair and stands up.

Lily meets Alex in her daughter's room and helps her get into some monkey footie pajamas. Alex toddles over to the bookcase and snatches up an animal picture book before crawling into her bed. Lily flips through the pages with her until the three-year-old falls asleep against her.

Rufus waits for Lily to get back while he fills up their tub.

"Rufus? Are you in here?" Lily calls as she steps further into their room.

"In the bathroom Lil," Rufus calls back, hearing Lily's footsteps come closer. She wedges the bathroom door open and smiles softly at the candles lit up around the bathtub.

"What's all this for?" Lily asks, coming up behind him and coiling her arms around his torso. Rufus turns his head slightly, flashing an adorable lopsided grin at her. Lily unhooks her arms and steps beside him.

"I feel like being romantic, now get in." Rufus slaps her ass and starts undressing.

"And the romance has died…" Lily quips as they strip and get into the tub together. She sits across from him and brings her blonde locks into a messy bun.

"You figure after _five _years we would get sick of each other." Rufus winks at her and blows some bubbles in her face.

"Nah, I still love you." She gives him a closed lipped smirk and braces her shoulders forward so she can brush a kiss to his lips. "Hold on…did you just admit that I was right?" Rufus blushes and slumps his shoulders.

"Yes Lil, you were correct, shockingly."

"Well I couldn't forget one of the top five best days of my life."

"Aw you are so…wait, one of?" Rufus stops caressing her cheek with his thumb after he realizes what she said. "What tops our wedding?" Lily bites back laughter at the dejected look on Rufus' face.

"My four kids being born." She says in with an obvious tone in her voice.

"Hmm…so when this baby is born do I fall off the list?" He curls his hand around her ankle, gently yanking her towards him. Lily laughs and rests her palms on his shoulders.

"Darling…you might," Lily tells him with a serious look on her face. Rufus frowns and playfully glares at her.

"I thought you were going to say your four other weddings instead of the kids." Lily's jaw drops open and she lightly smacks him on the arm.

"Rufus Humphrey! I am guessing your list is filled with the only five gigs Lincoln Hawk ever booked."

"You are one evil, frequently divorced woman."

"And you are a washed-up, sort-of rock star." They grin at each other and mesh their lips together. Lily laces her tongue in his mouth and puts her hand on his cheek. When they disconnect, Lily reaches behind her to unplug the drain. Rufus steps out of the tub first, going into the closet and grabbing towels for them. Lily accepts her towel graciously and secures it around her body. Rufus stares at her while he is wrapping the towel around his waist. She notices his gaze as they walk toward the walk in closet to get dressed. "Something catch your eye?"

"I'm just looking…admiring really," He mumbles and shoves a ratty t-shirt over his head. Lily marvels in the fact they can flip from playfully insulting each other to complementing one another. She turns away, embarrassed by her husband's remark, and grabs an ebony silk nightgown accompanied with a matching robe.

"You aren't too bad yourself." Lily reaches her hand out for him. Their fingers interlock and Rufus spins her around, passionately kissing her. She moans in his mouth right as thunder blares through the penthouse. Rufus jumps and clings tighter to Lily who has a mischievous grin on her face. "Are…are you scared of thunderstorms?" The rain starts picking up outside, each droplet crashing into the windowpane. Rufus bites his lip and scoffs.

"What? No…don't be ridiculous…" He nervously looks around, eyes widening when lightening dances across the sky. Lily covers her hand to prevent laughter from escaping.

"Honey, it's okay. Why haven't you ever told me you were frightened of thunderstorms?" Rufus glares at her, not amused by her treating him like a child at all.

"I'm not _scared; _I tend to get nervous is all." Thunder rumbles again and once again, Rufus tightens his hold on Lily. She softly smiles at him and brings them closer to their bed. They get under the covers and Rufus scoots Lily closer to him.

"I think it's very cute." She can sense Rufus exhale against her neck.

"Lil, I am a grown man, nothing I do is…_cute_." He says the word with disgust.

"I'm surprised Alex hasn't come in here yet," Lily muses. As if on cue, they see a sparkly pink monkey (named Monkey) fly onto their bed followed by a grunt and then they see Alex shimming up towards them. Predictably, the toddler is crying pretty heavily and shaking.

"M-m-mommy, d-d-daddy, what's goin on out der?" The three-old-asks, tears streaming down her cherub face. Rufus pushes away his own fears of the weather to focus on his daughter's. Lily detaches from her husband so Alex can lie in between them. The toddler grabs her precious stuffed animal and holds it close to her as she trembles. Lily rests her head on her elbow and uses her free hand to rub Alex's back.

"It's alright Alex, it's just a thunderstorm, and I know the noise is a little loud. We are fine in here though, nothing can to hurt us," Rufus comforts his daughter, ignoring Lily's stunned look. Five minutes ago she was assuring Rufus the sky isn't falling and now he is doing the same to their daughter. Alex sniffs and buries her head in her father's shirt. Thunder roars outside and the three-year-old sobs harder.

"Come here Alex," Lily says softly as she climbs out of bed. Alex turns and jumps into Lily's arms. Lily carries her daughter over to the window, drawing the curtains back so they can look outside.

"Mommy, no, it's scary out der," Alex tries to wiggle out of Lily's arms, but can't. Rufus hangs back to see exactly what his wife is up to, wondering if this will actually help Alex or make her more fearful of thunderstorms.

"Alex, look at the lightning, isn't it pretty?" Lily points to the lightning bolt illuminating the sky. Alex reluctantly turns and glances out the window. Alex shrugs her tiny shoulders and wipes away a tear from her eye.

"Why is der lightnin' mommy?" Alex asks out of curiosity. Lily lets the curtains fall and climbs back into bed with her daughter. Alex cuddles closer to Rufus as Lily readjusts her pillows.

"I'm not really sure Alex; you might want to ask your teacher tomorrow."

"K, but I don't like the thunder and lightnin', its too nosey. I tryin' to sweep here." Lily and Rufus can't help but laugh at their daughter's words. Lily turns off her lamp and faces her daughter and husband.

As much as Rufus loves his daughter and wants her to feel safe, she is really putting a constraint on his sex life, he is a little nervous about having two small children around here soon. Rufus sighs; he never regrets having children and is excited for their new addition in May. Pushing those thoughts aside for now, his eyes flicker over to Lily whose eyelids are drooping while she plays with Alex's hair.

"Lil?" Rufus whispers over to his wife.

"Hmm…?" Lily mumbles, her voice sounding sleepy.

"Uh…nothing, never mind, I love you," Rufus reaches over Alex to place a kiss on his wife's forehead.

"Mmm…love you too."

The next morning, Lily turns over in bed, expecting to collide with her husband or daughter. Instead, she hears a crinkling sound. She flips one eye open, wondering why there is a piece of paper here where Rufus or Alex is supposed to be. She holds it up as she rolls over and sits up more in bed.

_Lil, _

_ I got up with Alex and took her to school. I should be back after words. Happy fifth anniversary honey, I love you._

_ -R._

Lily rolls her eyes at the emphasis on the 'fifth' in Rufus' note; certainly he would do that. She tosses the note aside and races into the bathroom, making it just in time to heave into the toilet.

"Perfect," Lily mutters and flushes. The medication her doctor has been prescribing for the morning sickness hasn't really done much, except for cutting down on the number of times she has to throw up every day. She goes into the medicine cabinet and dry swallows the tablet, rinsing it down with some water. Hopefully the nausea will subside to put a part of her anniversary surprise into action.

Smiling to herself, Lily strolls into the walk-in closet, making her way over to her husband's tiny section. She shrugs off her robe and nightgown, tossing it into the nearby hamper. Lily rips off one of his dress shirts and starts buttoning it up. The sky blue article of clothing is big on her obviously, but it stops just above her knees. Lily saunters back into the bedroom and reaches for her phone, speed dialing Rufus.

Rufus waves goodbye to Alex as he feels his cell vibrate in his pocket. He grins and hits the talk button while he gets back into the car.

"Hello sweetheart, I see you found my note," Rufus pauses to instruct the driver to take him back to the penthouse.

"I did and thank you, it was really sweet. Where are you now?" Lily asks, biting her lip and hoping that he is coming back here.

"I am heading back to the penthouse to cook you some breakfast. Are you feeling up to eating?" Her eyes soften at the concern Rufus has for her.

"I should be fine, the nausea is still there, but it's getting better. I will see you when you get home okay?" Rufus and Lily say goodbye and hang up the phone with each other. She figures that she has about ten minutes before he comes breezing through the elevator. Lily pads her way over to the pantry and digs out the waffle batter.

Rufus can smell the makings of waffles stemming from the kitchen. His curiosity piques, they both know Lily can't cook so why is she? He rounds the corner into the living room, his jaw drops when he sees his wife wearing _his _shirt and not much else. She seems focused on cooking, staring intently at the waffle box, not noticing Rufus staring at her lustily.

"Woah…." Rufus mutters, causing Lily to look up at him with a sweet smile.

"Hi my darling, I thought I could make you breakfast for a change." Lily makes her way over to him, pilfering a swift kiss from him before receding back behind the counter. Rufus drops his wallet on the counter and sits at the kitchen table, tracing his wife's every graceful move around their kitchen.

"Are you eating a waffle too?" He asks after a few moments of silence. Lily shakes her head,

"No, I don't think I can stomach that right now. I have tea brewing and am going to put toast in the toaster when I'm done." Rufus stands up,

"I'll get it for you Lil." Lily moves over to block his entrance into the kitchen.

"Ah tah tah, you go sit. I think I can handle this." She shoos him back into his original seat and takes the waffles out of the maker, swearing when she misses the plate by an inch. Rufus peaks his head around the kitchen, but Lily is purposely blocking his view. "What do you want to drink?" She asks while setting his plate down in front of him.

"I still have some coffee left from this morning, it's on the machine." Rufus tells her, sneaking past her to grab the syrup and cutlery. Lily hears the tea whistling and pours herself some. She puts the tea kettle back on the burner and puts some toast into the toaster.

Rufus waits for Lily to join him at the table before he starts eating. He takes a bite, chewing slowly while Lily watches him over the rim of her coffee mug. A confused expression washes over Rufus' face and he reaches for his drink, taking a long sip.

"I'm curious Lil…"

"Hmmm?"

"How do you undercook a waffle?" Lily stops chewing her bite of toast.

No, did I really? Let me have a taste," Rufus cuts off a piece of his waffle and feeds it to Lily. She digests the food she made with a grimace. "Ew, that is disgusting, I'm sorry Rufus." Lily swipes his dish off of the table and tosses the waffles into the garbage. She returns with a defeated look on her face. Rufus scoots back his chair and pats his leg.

"Aw Lil, come here," Lily sits on his lap, tucking her head into the curve of his neck.

"How do you work that damn machine anyway? I thought the waffles were done because it beeped…" Lily trails off, frowning when she hears Rufus laugh.

"I think that it was a very sweet idea and thank you for trying to make me breakfast." Rufus brushes her tousled hair to the side to gain access to her neck. He places a tender kiss there before moving to her jaw and cheek. Lily tilts her head to the side, fighting the hormones threatening to take control of her body.

"Hmm…Rufus I…need to go meet Serena and pick up your anniversary gift…we need to stop…" Lily mutters weakly. She wants to stay, needs to even, but she doesn't have the time.

"I thought we weren't getting each other anniversary gifts. Besides, we already gave each other the best one anyway," Rufus moves his hand under his dress shirt Lily is wearing, spreading his cold hand across her stomach. Lily shivers at the contact and reaches for her tea.

"You don't have to get me anything, but trust me; you are going to love what I got you. I have to go, I'll see you later," Lily twists her head to plant a deep kiss on his lips. She then hops off his lap and heads upstairs to get ready. Rufus walks back into the kitchen to start preparing another waffle.

Lily swings open the door to a café near the penthouse, spotting Serena towards the back. Serena stands up and hugs Lily before they both sit down.

"I already ordered mom, sorry, I didn't know when you were coming." Serena tells Lily as the waitress is setting a bone dry cappuccino in front of her. A strong whiff of the drink wafts its way over to Lily, making her stomach crawl.

"Do you want anything miss?" The waitress asks Lily who isn't listening. Serena looks up at Lily, seeing her face become very pale.

"Mom?" Serena asks with concern. Lily swallows deeply and abruptly stands up,

"Where are your bathrooms?" Lily asks the waitress who seems very confused.

"In the back," Lily dashes toward the back of the café, bursting into the bathroom and hurls into the sink. Serena orders water with lemon for Lily when she comes back.

Lily dabs her mouth with a wet paper towel and looks at herself in the mirror. Her skin is ashen and sweaty, but her hair and makeup are still intact. She splashes some cold water on her face and walks back to her chair, averting her daughter's worried gaze.

"I got you some water, I wasn't sure what you wanted," Serena comments.

"Thank you darling, I just…morning sickness…the smell of coffee doesn't do well for me, obviously." The waitress comes back with Lily's water, giving her a funny look. Lily smiles at the petite woman and mutters thank you.

"I can toss this if you want and get something on the way back to Blair's." Serena tells Lily.

"No, it's fine, don't worry about it. Is everything set for tonight?"

"Yeah, the caterers will be there around five to set up. Oh, Chuck is coming!" Lily nods and takes a sip of her water.

"That's good; I haven't seen him since the day before we had that family dinner about a month ago."

"Are you still mad at him for not coming?"

"I was never really mad at him; I thought that I forced him into showing up and should maybe give him his space. You know Charles isn't too big on family events. However, I am glad that he is making an appearance tonight. Is there anything else we need to go over before the party?" Serena sets her coffee down on the table and readjusts in her chair.

"Yeah I was wondering about…"

Rufus can't help but feel like he should get Lily something for their anniversary. Even though they both agreed they didn't need to buy each other anything, Lily did get him something and he will feel bad if he doesn't reciprocate. He checks the clock, he isn't sure whether he is picking Alex up from school or his wife is. Speaking of, Rufus doesn't want his wife to catch him with her present, so he decides to call and see where she is.

Lily's phone vibrates against the wooden table. She shoots an apologetic look at Serena and picks up her phone.

"Hi my darling, what can I help you with?" Lily asks her husband.

"Hey I was wondering who is going to pick up Alex from school."

"Uh…I think I can, if you want me to."

Serena listens to Lily's conversation with Rufus intently. It's no secret that Lily wasn't exactly around for most of her Serena and Eric's childhood, but Serena has watched her mother become more present and attentive over the past couple years. Serena gives the full credit to Rufus for her mother's transformation. They have created an actual family that Serena never had before. Serena could never picture Lily taking care of a toddler, expecting another child with a man she actually loves, the concept is strange, but exciting to her.

"Okay…yup…I'll get her…love you too…stop…alright…uh huh…bye," Lily hangs up the phone, shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

"What did Rufus want?" Serena asks. Her mother scoffs and reaches for her purse.

"I have to go pick up Alex from school because Rufus is on some secret mission apparently. I'll see you tonight." Lily grazes a kiss over Serena's cheek and leaves the café, calling a town car to take her to Alex's preschool on the way out.

Rufus takes a taxi to FAO Schwartz, undeniably Alex's favorite store. However, he isn't shopping for his daughter; he is shopping for his wife's anniversary present. He wants to buy Lily something funny this year instead of sentimental and knows exactly what to get her.

Lily waits for Alex outside of the door to her classroom. The toddler is surprised to see her mother picking her up instead of her father.

"Hi mommy! Where's daddy?" Alex inquires as they walk back to the car.

"Daddy had something to do for the party tonight so I thought I would pick you up instead. I have to go shopping anyway and wanted you to come." Alex's face lights up; shopping is her favorite thing to do.

"Okay, what we shop for?"

"I want to get a new dress for the party, but we can stop at the toy store first." If possible, Alex gets more excited when her mother tells their driver to take them to FAO Schwartz.

Alex and Lily walk into the toy store and immediately head up to the little girls section. Alex is too enamored with a doll to see Lily take a detour into the baby toy section in the next aisle over.

Rufus spots a little girl that looks exactly like Alex staring at a doll. The toddler turns and Rufus realizes that it is his daughter, but where is Lily? Being the father that he is, Rufus has to make sure Alex is safe even though it could ruin his gift to Lily. He peers around the store, wondering why his wife left their daughter alone.

"Alex, where's mommy?" Rufus asks as he walks up to Alex. She turns and hugs her father's legs.

"I don't know daddy, like dis doll?" Alex points to the blonde haired doll on a high shelf. Rufus nods and sets down the gift he was going to buy his wife, he doesn't want Alex to see it and ruin the surprise.

Lily comes back to check on Alex, shocked beyond words to see her husband standing next to her daughter.

"Hi Rufus, what are you doing here?" Lily asks her husband. Rufus hands the doll to Alex and spins around to face his wife.

"I was going to get Alex some beach toys for the Hamptons. Where were you?" Rufus hopes that Lily will buy his lie. Lily's eyebrows shoot together, she isn't sure that she believes her husband given that she discovered him in the doll section with no other toys in his hand.

"I was in the next aisle over looking at baby stuff. I'm glad you are here though; can you take Alex back to the penthouse for her nap? I have to grab your present," Lily bats her eyelashes at Rufus, hoping that he will fold.

"Fine, go get my gift, I'll see you at home," Rufus kisses her on the corner of the mouth and grabs Alex's hand. Lily waves goodbye to Alex and walks out of the store, taking the car to Bergdorf's. Rufus walks Alex over to where he hid Lily's gift. "Alex, this is for mommy, but we can't tell her okay? This is a secret between us." Alex nods,

"Okay daddy, I not tell mommy, just like she don't tell you she buy more shoes." An adorable oops expression washes over Alex's innocent face. Rufus glances down at his daughter, wondering if letting her in on Lily's surprise is a good idea. Not that he really has a choice; he can't come back for her present.

"I will have to have a chat with mommy about her shoes, but we can't tell her what we got her until tonight. It's for our anniversary."

"Ah! K daddy, I not tell about your nanversary gift It's a secwet." Alex winks at Rufus as they head toward the checkout counter.

Lily flips through the racks at Bergdorf's, disheartened by the choices. For her gift to Rufus, she wants something scandalous, something she wouldn't normally wear. Everything is more like her usual conservative style, which would be nice if that is the look she is going for. She wants to fit into a sexy dress while she still can.

She strolls toward the exit, but stops when she spots the lingerie department. Lily quickly picks out a few new pieces for their anniversary and their trip to the Hamptons, after Alex goes to bed of course. She pays for her purchase and goes to Saks, the next store over from Bergdorf's.

Rufus and Alex arrive back from the penthouse with their bags. Rufus stashes Lily's gift under their bed while Alex waits for her dad in her room. He does his usual routine where he reads his daughter a story until she falls asleep. After Rufus closes his daughter's door, he sneaks into his office to get some paperwork for the gallery done.

A wicked smile blossoms on Lily's mouth. She has found the perfect dress to wear tonight. It fits her like a second skin and it is sure to drive her husband crazy. Lily does a twirl around and holds her hair up, checking one final time that there are no faults with the dress before she buys it. Satisfied that she made the right choice, Lily changes back into her original dress and purchases the piece of clothing.

The elevator doors open and Lily steps into her home, relishing in the fact that it is quiet, a rare occurrence in her life since Alex has been born. Although Lily is curious as to where Rufus is, usually he is sitting on the couch reading or the TV is blaring from upstairs. She goes into the master bedroom, hoping that her husband doesn't catch her with the garment bag she is holding because he will want to know what she bought. Rufus isn't in there though so Lily hangs up her dress in the back of the closet and goes across the hall into her husband's office. Rufus is passed out in the chair, snoring softly. She should let him be, but Lily is well aware of the fact that if she leaves him in his office to nap, he will bitch later about how much his back hurts.

"Rufus wake up," Lily turns his chair and gently sits on his lap. Rufus jerks awake and wipes his mouth, grimacing at the drool he has produced.

"Hi, how did your shopping go?"

"Good, I got your present." Rufus' lips turn up,

"Great! Where is it?"

"Where's mine?"

"Touché." Lily laughs and steps off of his lap, grabbing his hand to pull him up. She keeps a hold of his hand, leading them into their bedroom.

"I will have to give you your gift later."

"Alright, you won't get yours until I get mine." Husband and wife eye each other as they lie on top of the bed, wondering if they can trick one another into getting their present.

"Fine, how did your secret visit to the toy store go? Clearly, you weren't there to get Alex beach toys." Rufus bites the inside of his cheek; he can't really tell her why he was there because that will ruin his gift.

"Never mind that, I heard from our daughter that you have been buying copious amounts of shoes recently." Rufus turns the tables on her, watching her cheeks heat up.

"Well…I don't think there is such a thing as 'copious amounts' but what can I say? I like shoes. Besides, remember what I told you about shopping?"

"That all shopping eventually leads to shoe shopping. That is like your mantra." Rufus jokes and bends down to take his shoes off. Lily laughs and follows suit, tossing her shoes off the edge of their bed.

"I know I should get that tattooed on me."

"Yeah, right next to the heart shaped one between your uh…" Rufus points to her inner thigh. Lily winks at him and slides under the covers. He looks down at her and kisses her. She wraps an arm around his neck as she deepens the kiss. Rufus moans and climbs under the covers with her. He rolls them over and starts kissing her neck. Lily arches back, allowing him full access to the curve of her neck. For some reason, Rufus pulls his head away, making Lily groan in protest.

"Why did you stop?" He suppresses a smile at the pout forming on Lily's face, a genetic trait Alex acquired from her.

"I forgot to ask you how your talk with Serena went." Lily sets her head on his chest while Rufus' arms coil around her back.

"That is why you interrupted us? It went fine," Lily plants a kiss on Rufus' lips. Rufus leans into the kiss with his eyebrows furrowed; he can tell when Lily isn't sharing something important with him. They haven't been on the same page ever since he made that offhanded remark about Alex wanting them to have another wedding yesterday. He severs their lips once again and tucks her hair behind her ear.

"What aren't you telling me?" Lily's teeth scrape across her lower lip, her husband can always see right through her. She moves her arms so that they are resting on either side of his head and starts playing with his hair, needing something to occupy her hands.

"Nothing…" _That is probably the worst possible thing you could say to Rufus, Lily. _She scolds herself, knowing that her husband won't continue with what they were doing before until she talks.

"Lily, talk to me." He says with an exasperated tone. Lily shudders, the last time Rufus said that to her was when they thought she was sick, that was one of the most difficult conversations she has ever had with her husband.

"Serena told me Charles is coming tonight." Rufus nods in understanding; he recognizes that Lily has been keeping her distance from Chuck for a while. He admires Lily for never giving up on Chuck, something Rufus would have done a long time ago.

"Are you going to talk to him? Tell him about the baby?" Lily shrugs,

"I mean I want to, but I'm not sure now is the right time."

"Look Lil, you might not want to hear this, but Chuck Bass is selfish and he always will be. You don't owe him anything and you shouldn't have to chase after him to be a part of this family, it's his choice." Rufus can sense Lily tense against him, he doesn't regret what he is telling her though. Lily's eyes fill with tears and she buries her head in Rufus' neck.

"He's my son, I love him." Rufus smoothes a wayward strand of his wife's blonde hair down and moves his hand to rub her back.

"I know you do Lil." Lily sniffs loudly and brings her head up to look at her husband.

"I won't abandon him Rufus." He uses his thumb to flick away a tear,

"I'm not asking you to, I just don't want to see you get hurt." She nods and sashays off of Rufus, cuddling next to him instead. Rufus brings an arm around her, setting his hand on her bare arm.

"I won't," Lily mumbles, her voice thick with sleep. Rufus places a kiss on the top of her head; his stubborn wife isn't going to listen to him about Chuck. The only thing he can do is let her decide what she wants to do with her son.

Alex opens the door to her room a few hours later and peaks over the steps to see where her mom and dad are. She frowns, usually at least one of her parents are waiting for her downstairs. Alex spots her parents' bedroom door closed, that only happens when her mom or dad is in there. She twists the handle of the door and sees both of her parents sleeping. Her mom has her head on her dad's chest and her dad's arm is wrapped around her mom. Alex heaves herself onto the bed and lies in her mom's spot.

Lily notices the weight change in their bed and she rotates her head to the right. Her eyes flutter open to see her daughter staring at her with a smile on her face.

"Hi my darling, did you have a good nap?" Lily asks Alex.

"Yup! I sweep good, I escited about the party! Is Chuck gonna be der? I miss him." Lily's grin wavers ever-so-slightly, she is even more frustrated with her son because of the bond he has with Alex. Lily thinks that Alex feels like Chuck has abandoned her.

"I think he will be, but I can't make any promises. Now come here, you got me in trouble with daddy earlier," Lily snatches Alex off of the bed and holds her high in the air. Rufus wakes up to the sound of his daughter's musical laughter.

"I sorry mommy! Daddy help me! I got mommy in twoble wif you!" Alex flails her arms towards her father. Rufus chuckles and starts assaulting his wife with sloppy kisses to her neck. Lily succumbs and sets Alex down on top of her legs, over the blankets.

"Daddy, did you give mommy da pwesant?" Alex asks Rufus, her eyes sparkling.

"Not yet sweetie, but remember we can't tell mommy what we got her," Rufus reminds his daughter.

"Oh yeah, I 'member, sowee mommy, you haf to wait!" Lily nods and juts her lip out,

"Are you sure? I really want to open it." Rufus glances at Lily out of the corner of his eye,

"Using our daughter against me isn't going to work." He whispers in her ear, watching his wife bite his lip.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," She whispers back and flashes a persuasive smile at Alex. Seeing that Rufus isn't going to change his mind about giving her the present later, Lily slides out of bed and picks up Alex.

"Well since I can't get my present, Alex let's go get ready," Lily says with a huff. Alex sticks her tongue out at Rufus and follows her mom into her bedroom. Rufus gets ready while Lily helps Alex with her hair and clothes.

By the time Lily is completely ready, most of their guests have arrived. She takes one final glance in the mirror, slipping a lock of hair into her elegant bun before turning off the light to her room.

"Hey dad, look," Dan says to Rufus, pointing to the stairs. Rufus spins around to see his wife easing her way down the stairs. Lily is wearing a maroon silk dress with a plunging neckline. The dress stops just below the knees and criss- crosses in the back. Rufus hasn't seen Lily wear something like this in a long time. He is guessing that this is her anniversary surprise to him.

Lily basks in the stunned expression on her husband's face. She says hi to a few guests passing by as she makes her way over to Rufus and Dan. Rufus swallows deeply and tries to wipe the impish grin on his face.

"Hi," Lily says to Rufus, brushing a kiss to his cheek.

"Hey," Rufus mumbles back, eyeing her long, toned legs. Dan bids goodbye to Rufus and Lily, not wanting to be in the middle of whatever game they are playing with each other.

"You like what you see?" She asks and gives him a coy smile.

"Yeah, I am guessing this is my present?"

"Yup, I know this is different from what I usually wear, but I thought you would like it." Rufus wraps an arm around her, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"I really do, but I think it would look better off." Lily blushes slightly and looks around, hoping that no one heard him.

"Rufus! We are hosting a party, we can't just wonder off."

"Why not? It is our anniversary after all," Rufus whispers in her ear. Lily tries not to wither under his touch, but as always, her pregnancy hormones are working against her.

"Mommy! Chuck is here!" Alex yells as she runs toward her parents. Lily steps away from Rufus to pick Alex up. Their daughter points to the elevator where Chuck is handing his coat to someone.

"Go see him Alex," Lily sets her daughter down on the floor, but Alex doesn't leave right away.

"You come too mommy and daddy." Rufus slips his hand into Lily's silently telling her that it is her choice.

"Daddy and I will be there in a second." Alex shrugs and bolts towards her brother. Chuck scoops her up and Alex plants a kiss on his cheek, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck. Lily beams at the interaction, but stays with Rufus; she isn't going to make the first step this time.

"Let me know when you guys get here. We have to wait for Lily and Rufus to go upstairs," Serena tells Eric into the phone as she stands next to Blair and looks around the party. She can see her mom and Rufus chatting with Eleanor and Cyrus.

"Serena, it might not happen, you know mom doesn't like to be antisocial," Eric protests to his sister.

"Trust me E; if you could see what mom is wearing, it will happen. Just pick our present up and come here." Serena hangs up the phone and turns to Blair.

"Do you think Chuck is going to talk to Lily?" Blair asks out of curiosity.

"I don't know B, you know Chuck better than anyone, I hope so though."

"What's with your mom's dress? I'm surprised she can even fit into that." Serena shrugs,

"She is like two or three months pregnant. Do Cyrus and Eleanor know yet?" Blair and Serena see Eleanor's jaw drop and Cyrus shakes Rufus' hand.

"I guess they do now. Seriously, what is taking Chuck so long? He is such a bass hat."

Alex reluctantly lets Chuck put her down with a promise to give her a piggy back ride later. He makes his way over to where Cyrus, Eleanor, Rufus and Lily are talking.

"Charles, there you are, Blair has been bothering me all day about you." Eleanor says with an eye roll. Lily feels Rufus squeeze his hand as Chuck passes a smile to Blair's mother.

"Lily, can I talk to you for a second?" Chuck asks.

"Sure Charles, I'll be back," Lily drops Rufus' hand and follows Chuck to a quiet corner in the penthouse. Rufus trails them with his eyes and leaves Eleanor and Cyrus while he goes over to talk to Serena.

"Lily, I am really sorry, my absence these past few weeks has been inexcusable." Chuck says to his mother, watching her uncross her arms.

"It's okay Charles, I want you here as a part of the family, but I don't want to force you."

"I'm here Lily, I want to be here." Lily brushes a kiss to his cheek and brings him into a hug. Chuck pulls back, "I think congratulations are in order." Shock chases across Lily's face,

"How did you find out? Did Serena or Blair tell you?"

"No, they didn't have to. I figured it out on my own."

"Well thank you Charles." Lily and Chuck separate, Chuck goes by Blair and Serena and Lily goes to find Rufus. She comes up behind him and clasps his hand. He moves his arm so it rests on the small of her back.

"How did your chat with Chuck go?" Rufus asks in her ear, quiet enough that their surrounding guests can't hear.

"Good, I think we should talk though, privately."

"We should?" Rufus is confused that she wants to go upstairs now, maybe things didn't as well as he had hoped.

"Yes honey, upstairs,come on," Lily excuses them and holds onto his hand, bringing them upstairs covertly. Serena sees Rufus and her mom head upstairs and signals Blair.

Rufus closes their bedroom door and steps into Lily's kiss. He wraps his arms around her as they stumble backwards toward their bed.

"We can't be up here long," Lily whispers, reaching to slip off his ebony blazer. Rufus lowers her onto the bed and reaches under it to pull out her gift. He places it on her lap and watches her open his present. She laughs and holds the box up, beaming at him. "You got me an Easy Bake Oven? Are you serious?"

"I was at the toy store for you, not for Alex. I want you to learn how to cook." Lily giggles; this is why she loves her husband. Nobody else would think to buy her this.

"Well I love it, and I look forward to cooking with my Easy Bake Oven, thank you." Lily sets her gift on their bed and stands up, walking them over to the closet. She gasps when Rufus lips lower onto her neck. "Do you like your present?"

"I haven't had the chance to unwrap it yet," Rufus steps away from her to unbutton his dress pants. Lily watches them fall to the floor and rests her hands on Rufus' arms, letting him step out of them.

"Well hurry up," She devilishly smiles at him as she wraps her arms around his waist, kissing him deeply again. Rufus manages to weasel his hand in between them, slipping it under her dress. Lily gasps as she senses her underwear cascading down her legs.

"Eric! Over here," Serena waves her brother over to where Dan and Jenny are standing. Eric nudges to Scott and picks up Alex on his way over to their other siblings.

"Scott! Hey! It's so good to see you," Serena hugs her half brother. Scott nods in agreement and takes Alex from Eric.

"Hey Scott!" Alex kisses her brother's cheek like she did with Chuck.

"Okay, now that everyone is here, I will go get my mom and Rufus." Serena takes a quick look around the room, double checking to make sure Lily and Rufus aren't down here. She runs up the stairs and peeks into Rufus' office, but it's empty.

"Wait, Rufus, stop someone is coming," Lily whispers to her husband who loosens his grip around her hips.

"Mom? Rufus?" Serena asks as she moves into the master bedroom.

"Hide," Lily mouths to him, pointing to the bathroom door and throws his pants at him.

"Underwear," Rufus holds his hand out. Lily hurls his boxers at him as he is shutting the door.

"Mom, there you are, I was looking for you everywhere. Have you seen Rufus?" Serena asks with a demure grin, hearing the bathroom door close moments earlier. Lily tries to maintain her cool and shoves her dress down.

"No, I haven't, I thought he was downstairs. What can I help you darling?"

"Dan, Jenny, Eric and I have a surprise for you and Rufus. So uh…grab Rufus from the bathroom and come downstairs." Serena sees Lily's jaw drop as she walks out of the master bedroom.

"Rufus you can come out of the bathroom, we are busted." Lily shouts to him. Rufus swings open the door and faces his mortified wife. He grabs Lily's hand to leave, but she pulls him back.

"Hold on, you have some lipstick on your cheek," She rubs the makeup off of him and stamps a kiss on his lips. "Apparently the kids have an anniversary gift for us downstairs." He intertwines their fingers as they walk downstairs together.

"Scott!" Lily exclaims and rushes down the stairs to hug her son. Rufus is quick to follow.

"Hi Lily, Rufus, it's so good to see you," Scott says.

"Scott, put me down," Alex tells her brother as she wriggles in his arms. Scott sets Alex down on the floor so he can talk to his parents. Rufus drapes his arms around his wife's waist.

"How have you been?" Rufus asks his son.

"Good, happy anniversary guys, what's been going on with the family?" Lily and Rufus glance at each other, exchanging smiles before answering their son.

"Well, you are going to be a big brother again," Lily says to her son as Rufus grazes his fingertips over her bare arm. Scott smiles and hugs both of his parents. The rest of the kids come over to talk to Rufus and Lily.

"You know, I have a feeling that this isn't Blair's birthday party," Lily tells their kids, watching their reactions.

"Well…not really, no, but Blair's birthday is relatively soon. Sorry mom, we didn't mean to lie, but Scott's here," Serena speaks up for her siblings.

"How long are you in town for?" Rufus asks.

"A couple of days, I realize that it's short notice, but I wanted to come for your anniversary." Scott tells his father. Rufus tries to keep his composure; he knows that him, Lily and Alex can't take off for the Hamptons with their son here, that wouldn't be fair.

"I am glad you are here, if you would excuse me, I am going to put Alex to bed." Lily steps out of Rufus' arms to make her way towards her daughter.

"Hey Lil, make sure you tell her about the…" Rufus breaks off, hoping that his wife will catch on. Lily nods in understanding and locates her daughter whispering something in Chuck's ear by the buffet table.

"Mommy, Chuck knows about baby," Alex tells Lily excitedly.

"Yes sweetie, we told him about the baby. It's time for bed though, so tell Chuck goodnight." Alex frowns and clings tighter to Chuck. Lily knows putting Alex to bed is going to be a challenge tonight.

"Actually Alex, I have to go to bed too, so I will see you later," Lily appreciates Chuck lying to Alex for her; it will make the transition a lot smoother.

"Okay Chuck, I see you in da mornin'!" Chuck hands Alex over to Lily who sets her down on the floor.

"Go say goodnight to daddy, I will be there in a minute." Lily tells Alex who scampers off to find her father, gathered around her other siblings.

"Thank you Charles, I really enjoyed seeing you. Feel free to stop by for family brunch anytime." Lily hugs her son and smiles as he makes his way over to Blair. Lily rejoins her family huddled near the steps. Alex hugs her dad's legs and waves goodbye to Serena, Eric, Dan, Jenny and Scott.

"Goodnight Alex, I will see you in the morning for waffles," Scott tells his younger sister.

"K I like my waffles wif strawberries," Alex informs him and starts walking upstairs. Lily follows and helps Alex get dressed in her pajamas.

"Mommy, I think we goin to the Hamptons now?" Alex asks, her eyes shimmering. Lily takes a deep breath in; she hates to ruin her daughter's good mood.

"No honey, we aren't going to the Hamptons."

"Why?" Alex squeaks out, her eyes already filling with tears. Lily feels terrible and brings her daughter into her lap.

"I'm sorry sweetie, but Scott is here. I promise that we will go soon okay?" Lily is well aware that what she is asking of Alex is unfair; she just hopes that her daughter will handle it alright. Alex sniffs and snatches her monkey off of her pillow.

"When?" Lily shakes her head,

"I don't know, maybe next weekend. I will have to talk to daddy. I am really sorry Alex, but we will make it up to you, I promise." Alex looks like she is debating whether she should push this issue further or if she should let it go.

"Can we go shoppin tomorrow?"

"Of course my darling, we will definitely take Scott shopping tomorrow. Get some sleep," Lily kisses Alex's forehead and tucks her in. She closes the toddler's door and goes back downstairs to the dwindling party.

An hour later, the party has all but ended. The only people still at the penthouse are Rufus, Lily and their kids.

"Everyone is welcome to stay, just find a room," Lily tells their children, thrilled to finally have them all together.

"I am going back to Blair's, but family brunch tomorrow?" Serena asks.

"Certainly, night darling," Lily brushes a kiss to Serena's cheek and walks her to the elevator.

"I think Jenny, Eric, Scott and I will go to the loft for a bit and then crash here. Happy anniversary Lily, dad," Dan hugs both his father and stepmother. Eric, Jenny and Scott repeat the sentiment and pile into the elevator.

"Shall we continue what we were doing before?" Rufus asks his wife who nods eagerly. He scoops her off the ground, kissing her fully while her arms loop around his neck. Lily moves her hand to caress his cheek. He carefully climbs up the stairs, not wanting either of them to fall, especially her. Lily hums and her eyes flutter open. She extends her arms to open the door to their bedroom while Rufus' assaults the curve of her neck with kisses.

He gently lowers her onto their bed and puts her Easy Bake Oven onto the floor. Lily reaches for him and helps him shrug off his blazer once again. He places his knees on the bed while she inches toward him, pausing with each undone button to kiss him. Rufus reaches behind her to unzip her dress, hearing the sound as the zipper makes its way down her body. Lily can feel the cool air rush against her exposed back. She lets the dress pool at her feet while she maneuvers herself slightly so she can gain access to his pants. The zipper flies open and the pants along with the boxers fall to the floor.

Rufus tugs at the strap of her maroon dress, stopping to place a kiss on each shoulder before scooting each strap down her arm and off her body. Clad only in her panties, Lily rolls them over, wanting to be on top and in control. Rufus cups her ass, pinching it and curling his fingers around the flimsy fabric of her panties, barreling them down her legs until it is discarded by a swift upheaval of her feet. His hand pushes her thighs apart with an air of authority. Lily huffs, but complies, secretly loving this side of him. He is a beautiful contradiction to her; no man she has ever been with can be rough, but oh-so-delicate at the same time. He smirks at her, enjoying the fire igniting her eyes. His fingers barrel down to her thighs, slinking in between the gap, swirling, circling, and easing their way in and out as she moans softly.

Lily grabs onto the headboard, using her free hand to guide Rufus into her with one fluid movement. Rufus begins to pump slowly in and out of her, listening to Lily's whimpers, her hand reaching to grab his hair. She lift her hips and he slips deeper inside her, his head lifting to look into her eyes as he gasps. Their fingers intertwine as he shifts his own hips and driving into her now with short powerful thrusts that cause the bed to rock faintly. Unable to hold back any longer, Lily tears her lips away from Rufus' kiss, struggling to breathe, the words… _oh god…._and_…. oh Rufus,_plummet from her lips as her thighs begin to shake, her orgasm rolling into her as she utters his first name.

"Hmm…yes…" She moans with a strained voice, her hands sliding down and gripping his hips tightly, urging him to keep pumping inside of her hard and fast, delving her even further into ecstasy. Flashing lights are now pulsing underneath his closed eyelids, while Lily places soft kisses on his chin and bottom lip, helping him to keep up the rhythm of his still bucking hips until he slows them completely, the ripples of his powerful climax reaching down to his toes.

Lily waits a few seconds for Rufus to ride out his orgasm before sliding off of him. She rolls over on her stomach, using her elbows to hoist her up a little. Rufus rests his head on his closed fist and faces her, drumming his fingers on her bare flesh.

"We had a great anniversary, don't you think?" Rufus asks Lily.

"Mmm…the best, however, as much as I love the kids surprising us with Scott, I wish they would have told us beforehand so we could've planned better. Poor Alex, I felt so bad for telling her we weren't going to the Hamptons."

"Speaking of Alex, have you given any thought to her second wedding request?" Lily tilts her head to look up at him; yesterday he was calling the idea cheesy, she wonders what his thought on it now are.

"You didn't want to do it so I wasn't going to bring it up again."

"Well if we were going to happen, now would be the perfect time, don't you think?"

"Yeah, it's been five years, almost three kids; I'm impressed we haven't murdered each other yet." Rufus gives her a sideways smile,

"Trust me Lil, there have been times when I thought about it, but I realized that I would miss you too much."

"Ah the joys of marriage, I love you Rufus," Lily leans up to kiss him with Rufus laughing against her lips.

"I love you too Lil, happy anniversary." She turns over and rests her head on his chest.

"Hmm…you too."

**A/N 2: Longest. Chapter. Ever, you're welcome. Honestly, I'm torn about next chapter, I'm not sure whether to do the second wedding idea or skip it. What do you guys think? Reviews would be so helpful in making a decision. Thanks as always for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I try to come up with a creative way to say this every time, but I can't, so I will just say thank you! As per your request, I will try not to make this chapter too cheesy, but no guarantees. Enjoy this M rated chapter.**

**Chapter Three**

Rufus has learned an interesting fact about Lily over the years. When his wife wants something or when something is very important to her, she doesn't always know how to communicate her feelings with him. Instead, she gets mopey and starts dancing around the issue in the hopes that he is smart enough to read through her smoke signals.

It's been two weeks since the whole second wedding should-we-or -shouldn't-we debacle. Lily hasn't brought it up since, but she hasn't exactly let it go either. Rather than telling him what she actually wants, because that would be too simple really, she has been dropping tiny bread crumbs for him to find and interpret. Today is no exception to this game they have been playing with each other over the past couple weeks, but Rufus is determined to drag it out of her. He hears the elevator doors ding open and snatches his unread magazine off the coffee table, waiting for his wife to come to greet him. She was at Bass all morning assisting Chuck in expanding the empire into Midtown. Her body is slumped over in exhaustion, but she still manages to smile as she walks towards him.

"Hi," She mumbles, setting her overflowing file down on the coffee table before placing a soft kiss on his lips.

"Hey, how did the meetings go?" Lily sits down and extends her legs, placing her feet in Rufus' lap. He looks down at her pedicured toes, intrigued by the way she is sitting. She sighs and leans back slightly so her back is up against a throw pillow.

"Long, boring, I just have some final modifications to Charles' business plan to make so we can close the deal." He nods and watches her lean over to grab the file, digging through her purse to find her reading glasses in the process. Rufus goes back to flipping through his magazine. "Is Alex asleep?"

"Yeah, she and Tyler had an adventurous day at school today. I am sure she will tell you all about it when she wakes up." Lily grins at her husband's anecdote about their daughter and flips over a piece of paper.

The couple sits in comfortable silence for a few minutes, each concentrating on the material in front of them. Lily is starting to get annoyed; she thought Rufus would get the hint already. Apparently, she needs to be a little more obvious. So, Lily loudly clears her throat and wiggles her feet that are resting on Rufus' legs. Rufus looks up from his magazine, catching his wife's gaze briefly before she buries her nose in the business file.

"Lil, are you trying to tell me something?" He asks. Lily slowly brings the folder away from her face, a doe-eyed expression washing over it.

"Oh...um...it's just…my feet hurt…" Rufus nods, he knows what Lily is asking him for, but he isn't going to give in that easily.

"I'm sorry Lil," He comments and pretends to be interested in the picture on the opposite page. Lily narrows her eyes at Rufus,

"I'm pregnant." Rufus merely grumbles, not seeming to care about her aching feet or the fact she is pregnant with his child. Lily tosses her file on the floor, business be damned, her husband is really starting to piss her off. "Are you being intentionally dense?" Rufus smirks and throws the magazine aimlessly on the carpeting, resting his hands over her feet.

"Yup, unless you have something you want to ask me." Lily huffs in defeat; she sees what Rufus is trying to get her to do. She sets her hand on his shoulder while using the other to take her glasses off.

"Rufus, my darling, would you pretty please rub my feet for me?"

"I would be happy to," Rufus grins widely at her glare. He is impressed with himself that he was able to beat her at her own game. Rufus digs his thumbs into the arches of her feet, seeing her close her eyes and moan softly. She bends her knees slightly and drops her head onto the armrest of the couch, folding her hands over her relatively flat abdomen.

"Rufus?" She murmurs with her eyes still closed.

"What Lil?"

"When was the last time we did something spontaneous?" His eyebrows spurt together at her question, wondering where this is coming from.

"Well, the last time we did something spontaneous, you ended up pregnant. You know, the bar, in Brooklyn a few months ago." Lily's eyes flutter open and she frowns.

"I really don't remember that night at all." Rufus laughs,

"That's because you were drunk." Her mouth drops open in an attempt to defend herself, but can't. The only thing she recalls about that particular night is saying goodnight to Alex.

"Fine, then why don't you refresh my memory since I was so intoxicated?"

"Gladly," Rufus says and moves his hands to the balls of her feet, "it was my turn to pick where we should go for our date night…"

_About once a month, Lily and Rufus try to plan a night to themselves. They leave Alex with a babysitter, usually one of their older kids, and go out. It is Rufus' month to pick and he wants to do something out-of-character for them. _

_ "Hey Lil?" Rufus yells as he sets Alex down on the floor. _

_ "Up here Rufus," She calls back, presumably from their bedroom. Alex bolts up the stairs with her father closely following. Alex runs and jumps on their bed while Rufus turns the corner to find his wife trying to choose between two outfits. _

_ "Are you excited for our date tonight?" Rufus asks, wrapping his arm around her waist. She turns and smiles at him, nodding profusely._

_ "I am I just don't know what to wear. Why won't you tell me where we are going?" _

_ "All I will say is you should dress…younger. I don't think this is appropriate for where we are going." Rufus points to a sparkly, chocolate, one shoulder dress. _

_ "Fine, I think I need Alex's help to choose an outfit. Can you go get dinner for us?" Rufus yells for Alex and gives Lily a goodbye kiss to the cheek. _

_ "Hi mommy," Alex appears in the closet and starts digging through her mother's clothes within her reach. Lily turns and watches Alex work, an amused grin playing on her face. _

_ "Do you know where daddy is taking me tonight?" Lily asks, although she shouldn't. Alex is well known for not being able to keep a secret. _

_ "Nope but daddy say dat you don't need dese dwesses." Alex grabs a pair of jeans from a nearby cabinet and sets them on the floor. Lily starts reaching for a royal blue shirt, but Alex stops her. "No mommy, no." _

_ "What?" Lily asks and spins around to see her daughter with her arms crossed. _

_ "Not your colwer, red better." the three-year-old reaches for a crimson scoop neck tank and tugs on it. Lily takes it off the hanger and sets it by her jeans. Alex starts going towards Lily's array of jackets, searching for the perfect final touch to her mom's outfit. Lily trails behind Alex, wanting to see what her daughter comes up with without interfering. "Dis one mommy." Alex stands on her tip toes in an attempt to take the black leather jacket off its hanger._

_ "I love it Alex, thank you," Lily scoops Alex off the floor and smiles at the jacket her daughter chose. Lily wore this jacket over to Rufus' loft all those years ago when Eric went missing from the Ostroff Center. "I need to get ready, can you go play?" _

_ "K mommy, I go play wif my toys." Lily sets Alex down and disappears into the bathroom. _

_ After dinner, Serena arrives to watch Alex. Lily is upstairs finishing her ensemble. _

_ "Rufus, where are you taking mom tonight?" Serena asks, noticing Rufus' outfit. He has reverted back to jeans and his flannel t-shirts he was wearing before he married Lily. Rufus turns to make sure Lily isn't behind him and picks Alex up._

_ "We are going to a bar in Brooklyn." Serena raises her eyebrows in shock, she is curious as to how this is going to play out. _

_ "Are you trying to get my mom wasted?" Serena lowers her voice at the end so Alex can't hear, but she does anyway._

_ "Daddy, what's wasted?" Alex asks out of curiosity. Rufus glares at Serena who mumbles an apology._

_ "Nothing Alex, it just means that mommy is going to have a few drinks tonight." _

_ "Oh, I like dwinks, my favwite is milk. Is mommy gonna have milk?" _

_ "She might, I am going to have to ask her while we are gone." _

_ "I bet you twenty bucks that my mother won't come back d-r-u-n-k." Serena spells it out so she won't get caught this time. Rufus sets Alex on the floor while Lily is coming down the steps. _

_ "Alright, deal," Rufus and Serena shake hands while Lily picks Alex up. Rufus turns to see his wife wearing something totally uncommon for her._

_ "Mom, you look…different." Serena comments, raising her eyebrows at Lily's outfit choice. Lily blushes as she walks toward Serena and Rufus. _

_ "Alex picked it out for me. Have fun with Alex, Serena, I love you." Lily says and presses a kiss on Alex's cheek. _

"_I wuv you too mommy." Rufus wraps an arm around Lily's waist. Alex is passed to Rufus so he can kiss her goodnight and say I love you before handing her over to Serena._

_ Rufus and Lily take a taxi to his favorite bar in Brooklyn, a little dive bar near his gallery. Lily smirks as Rufus opens the cab door for them, holding his hand out for her to take. They sit at the bar and Lily slides her coat off, hanging it over the chair. Rufus orders them some beers to start off with. He knows that a few beers isn't going to get Lily drunk, but he will change to hard liquor in time._

_ "Lil, what do you say we do some shots?" Rufus asks. Lily quirks an eyebrow, _

_ "Are you trying to get me drunk Humphrey?" He orders them shots of Patron and sets one in front of her._

_ "What? No, I thought it would be fun." Rufus holds up his glass and Lily picks up hers._

_ "Fine, I will do shots with you if you can pick me up." He sets his glass down on the bar counter._

_ "Pick you up? In case you have forgotten, I am your husband." Lily nods and flips her golden hair over her shoulder._

_ "Well, pretend you are not. Come on; give me your best corny pick up line. I will only make fun of you a little bit." Rufus gives her an adorable grin and hops off the bar stool. Lily turns to look at him, wondering what he is going to say. Rufus steps back a little and then approaches her._

_ "Hi, do you know how much a polar bear weighs?" He asks, leaning on the counter slightly. Lily laughs and looks at Rufus like he is insane._

_ "No, how much?" _

_ "Enough to break the ice, Rufus Humphrey," He holds his hand out for Lily to shake. She giggles and shakes his hand. _

_ "Very nice to meet you Rufus, I'm Lily." Rufus chuckles and reclaims his seat next to her. He leans over to brush a kiss to her cheekbone. _

_ "Did I say you could kiss me? After all, we just met," Lily says coyly. Rufus winks at her and picks his glass up again. This time, Lily follows suit and presses it against her lips._

_ "Let's play a game Dan taught me." Rufus says before she downs the drink. _

_ "What is it?" Lily is willing to do whatever Rufus wants since he arranged this night for them. It's nice to step out of her comfort zone every once and a while._

_ "It's called 'I never'." Lily nods, she has heard from Serena how to play this game._

_ "Fine, you go first." Rufus smirks, already having his first sentence in mind._

_ "I never slept with Bart Bass." Lily sneers at him and downs her shot. Rufus tells the bartender to just keep the shots coming, they are going to need them._

_ "I never slept with Alison Humphrey." Rufus takes his drink._

_ "I never had more than 13 people on my list." _

_ "Bastard," Lily mutters and tips her drink back. Rufus laughs and rubs her shoulder. "Oh, I never had someone fall asleep on me while having sex." _

_ "I never had someone high five me after." _

_ "Low blow my darling. I never…left a hickey for our daughter to find." Rufus sighs and takes his shot, but is confused when Lily doesn't take hers._

_ "Uh…Lil, you did that too." _

_ "Nuh uh, when?" _

_ "Last Christmas…under that mistletoe the kids insisted that we stood under. You had too much of CeCe's spiked eggnog." _

_ "Crap," Lily blushes and downs her shot._

_ Several more rounds of 'I never' and Lily has swallowed a lot more alcohol than Rufus. _

_ "Are you ready to admit defeat Lil?" Rufus asks. Lily nods and downs her final shot. _

_ "You wanna know something Rufus?" Lily doesn't wait for his response, "you are the best husband I have ever had, and trust me I have had a lot." Rufus smirks at her, _mission accomplished_, he thinks as he looks at his very inebriated wife._

_ "Alright Lil, time to go," Rufus grabs her jacket off the chair and swings it over her shoulders. He holds his hand out for Lily who half glides, half falls off of the bar stool. She turns to wave at the bartender while Rufus slides a hundred across the counter. _

_ Rufus escorts her into a cab, holding onto her hand tightly so she doesn't try to exit the moving vehicle. _

_ "Why do we never come here? I love Brooklyn," Lily declares and turns to face Rufus who shakes his head._

_ "You are so drunk right now."_

_ "Nope, you are," Lily taps her finger on his nose and giggles. Rufus lets go of her hand to coil an arm around her. The taxi drops them off in front of the apartment complex. Rufus is busy handing the driver the fare while Lily is aimlessly strolling around near the street. He comes up behind her and clasps her hand, dragging her into the building. Lily spots Vanya and runs over to him, hugging him tightly._

_ "Hello Ms. Lily," The poor doorman has never seen her like this. Rufus laughs and snags Lily's hand, mumbling an apology to Vanya._

_ "You are a very nice man Vanya, Dorota is very lucky to have you. You just open those doors so well, she must be proud." Rufus waves goodbye to the doorman while taking Lily into the elevator. Halfway up, Lily reaches behind her and presses the red button, halting the elevator's progress to the top._

_ "Lil, what are you doing?" Rufus asks, noting her devilish smile. She advances toward him, looping her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a passionate kiss. She pulls back and bites her lower lip. "You know people can see us, right?" Rufus really doesn't care, but Lily would if she wasn't drunk off her ass at the moment. She waves her hand grandly in the air._

_ "I don't mind." His retort is silenced by her lips crashing onto hers with the air of a desperate woman who wants him now. He tugs at her purse, hearing it hit the elevator floor with a loud thud. She grins as his lips lower towards her neck. Lily watches Rufus step out of their embrace for a quick moment, unzipping his jeans swiftly. He reaches for her again, wrapping his arm around her slender waist, reaching lower for her jeans. He yanks her pants off and tosses them near her purse. Rufus walks them backwards and presses her up against the wall, kissing her fervently_

_ Lily counters by separating their lips and using her hands to tug his boxers down so they are pooled at his feet with his jeans. Rufus steps out of them and kicks them aside. He stamps a kiss to her lips before reaching down to slide her panties down her slender legs as they join the ever increasing pile of shed clothing. _

_ "I told you this was going to be a fun night." Rufus mutters against her skin, pressing a kiss to her temple as his hands meanders in between her thighs. Lily doesn't respond, but, instead, leans her pelvis into his touch. She is getting lost in the sensation of Rufus skillfully maneuvering his fingers inside of her. _

_ "We have to hurry," finally tumbles out of Lily's mouth. Rufus catches the hint and his hands abandon her thighs, moving to get a firm grip on her waist as he enters her with one fluid motion. __A muffled cry of passion escapes Lily's mouth and lands on the side of Rufus' cheek as the incredible sensation of him filling her so completely with one stroke sends a tremble down her spine._

_He starts to pump in and out of her with a strong rhythm that makes her gasp even more. His right palm is now pressed firmly onto the wall behind her. His left arm hooks around her leg, making sure that she never falls out of his grasp. Nuzzling her cheek with the stubble of his jaw, Rufus moves his lips to Lily's again. His tongue slips into her mouth and dares her to keep up with his pace before releasing her from their kiss. Her head drops down to rest against his shoulder as her hips flexed in time with his. Lily's soft whimpers bounce off the fabric of Rufus' flannel T-shirt as he twists slightly, going in at a different angle. She bites down on the curve of his neck, mere inches from the collar bone. Rufus groans and grabs a fist of her hair, tilting her head up so he can kiss her fiercely. _

_Letting out a deep moan, Lily feels her leg being raised up higher in its bent position by Rufus just as her orgasm starts to chase through her. The motion follows closely by Rufus' own orgasm, who is trying to balance holding Lily up while convulsing around her. Basking in their afterglow, Rufus eases Lily to her feet in order to collect their clothing. They quickly redress and assess each other, looking for any unruly tendrils or missed buttons._

"_You good?" Rufus asks, walking over to push the button. Lily smoothes down a strand of hair and nods. The elevator starts moving again and drops them off at their penthouse. Between her already drunken state and ecstatic high from their tryst in the elevator, Lily feels like the luckiest woman alive. _

"_Mom, Rufus," Serena says and gets off the couch, setting her bowl of grapes down on the coffee table. Lily bounces over to her daughter and kisses her fully on the cheek. Rufus stands back with his hands in his pockets, he is about to collect twenty dollars from his stepdaughter._

"_Thank you for watching Alex, I love you and you are my favorite child right now, but don't tell Eric, it's a secret," Lily whispers conspiratorially and laughs a little too loud for the quiet penthouse. "Oh, are those grapes?" Serena turns to look at Rufus who is making his way toward Lily. _

"_Mom, are you drunk?" Serena asks. Lily's cheeks heat up as she pops a few grapes in her mouth._

"_Yeah," She covers her mouth, but a laugh still seeps through the cracks of her fingers. Serena shoots Rufus an impressed look just as Lily starts heading toward the liquor cabinet._

"_Come on honey, let's get you to bed," Rufus intercepts Lily by the fridge and gets a firm grip on her hand. Lily starts to protest, but shrugs it off._

"_Okay, night Serena," Serena waves to Lily and watches while Rufus brings his wife upstairs. He opens the master bedroom door and closes the door behind him, leaving her to her own devices. Rufus then walks back downstairs where Serena is waiting with his money._

"_Here you go Rufus; I am impressed that you were able to get my mother totally wasted." Rufus pockets the twenty with an arrogant smile. _

"_Let's just say that I know your mother very well. Anyway, thanks so much for watching Alex." Serena steps into Rufus' hug and then exits the penthouse. Rufus goes back upstairs, gently opening the door to the master bedroom. Lily is already fast asleep, fully clothed, with her boots hanging over the edge of the bed. He disappears into the closet to change before taking Lily's boots off and climbing into bed next to her._

"You intentionally got me drunk just to win twenty dollars from my daughter?" Lily asks in disbelief after Rufus wraps up his story.

"I did not force drinks down your throat Lil, you were more than willing to participate. What brought this conversation up anyway?" Lily looks away from him, focusing more on the corner of the coffee table instead. "Lily…I know when you aren't telling me the whole story." Lily sighs as Rufus stops massaging her feet.

"Alright, fine, I will confess that…maybe, just maybe, I want to renew our vows, but I don't want it to be…lame…I guess is the right word." She seems embarrassed by her admission, like she usually does when she opens up to him. Rufus nods in understanding.

"Okay, well, how do we not make it cheesy?"

"Um…it could be small."

"Wait, you, Lily Rhodes, Van der Woodsen blah, blah, blah, Humphrey, wants to something small? Whatever happened to there are certain expectations to being Lily Bass?" Lily rolls her eyes at him.

"I don't have the time or the energy to plan a big event. We could just have it at the loft with the kids."

"Oh, we could write our own vows." Lily's eyes widen,

"I had a hard enough time writing my vows the first time; I don't know if I could do it again." Rufus laughs at Lily's honesty.

"Don't worry Lil, just as long as it doesn't turn into the 'you are the wind beneath my wings' I think we will be okay." Lily laughs and shakes her head.

"I don't think you have to worry about that from me, you are the more sentimental one out of the two of us." Rufus gives her a duh look that Lily chooses to ignore.

"Okay, when are we going to have this wedding thing? I need to shop."

"Of course you do. How about we invite the kids over tomorrow to tell them and then have this thing this weekend?" Lily nods and bends forward to place a kiss on the corner of his mouth.

"There is just one more thing to talk about," Rufus trails off, hoping that Lily will catch on.

"What?"

"Are we going to invite your mother?" Lily groans and tosses her head back into the armrest.

"I don't that would be a wise decision. Have you ever seen CeCe in Brooklyn? It's weird enough that I venture across the bridge." Lily shivers at the thought.

"So that's why you want to have our vows renewed at the loft, you know CeCe wouldn't go there." Lily averts his gaze, making Rufus think that his assumption is correct.

"That might be a reason. What about your mother? Should we invite her?" Lily feels Rufus tense slightly; she knows that he doesn't have the best relationship with his parents all stemming from their teenage years when Rufus decided to pursue music with his band. His parents disagreed, but Rufus was too stubborn to listen. Lily had to remind him of that when he was struggling with Jenny's yearning for a career in fashion.

"I don't know Lil, I mean it would be hard for her to get here and she doesn't really like us being together." Lily purses her lips, recognizing the similarity with CeCe.

"Does she still refer to me as _that _woman with _those _husbands?" Rufus chuckles and reaches for his wife, pulling her up against him to drop a kiss to her head.

"I think you moved up to _that _woman with _my _two children after Alex was born."

"Lovely," Lily quips and turns to plant a kiss on his lips.

"Yeah well, I was thinking that we could invite CeCe and my mother up for some upcoming holiday. We should tell them about the baby eventually." Lily nod in concurrence and yawns. She reaches for her file, but Rufus snatches it from her.

"Rufus!" Lily says in her trademark tone.

"Go get some sleep, you can finish this later." He can see Lily mentally contemplating whether she should argue with him or just do what he says.

"Fine, only because you gave me a foot massage." Lily wraps her arm around his neck to kiss him fully. He parts their lips briefly to kiss her deeper prior to him pulling away. She winks at him and heads upstairs to catch some shut eye before Alex wakes up.

Rufus stays downstairs to text their kids to inform them that there is, once again, a mandatory family dinner tomorrow. He realizes that the kids are going to think there is another announcement to be made. Rufus sets his phone on the table and goes upstairs to his office to get some work done.

Alex sneaks out of her bedroom a few hours later and runs into her parent's bedroom. She struggles to get on the bed, but manages, digging her knee into Lily's leg into the process.

"Hi mommy! Daddy's cookin' dinner." Alex informs her mother while getting under the covers with her. Lily hooks her arms around her daughter, bringing her into her arms.

"I'm glad daddy is making us dinner instead of me."

"Yeah I would be 'fraid to eat." Alex admits and laughs as her mom tickles her.

"Daddy told me you had fun with Tyler today at school. What did you do?"

"We pwayed wif toys and learned some words. I colwer too but I give Tywer my picture." Lily slides out of bed and takes Alex, setting her down on the floor. Alex bolts downstairs while Lily goes to the bathroom. When she gets down the stairs, Rufus already has dinner laid out on the table for them. Lily helps Alex set up her food and then takes a seat next to Rufus.

"So Alex, we have some news to share with you," Rufus starts, winking at Lily. Alex swallows her bite and waits for a response from her parents. The last time they started a conversation like this her parents told her that they were going to have a baby.

"What's goin on mommy and daddy is it da baby?" Alex asks with curiosity.

"No sweetie the baby is fine. Daddy and I have decided that we are going to take your advice and get married again at the loft." Alex claps her hands in delight,

"Yay! I so smart. Mommy are you gonna wear a dwess?"

"Of course, we can go pick one out soon, okay?"

"K mommy, I help you look good. Can Tywer come to your weddin?" Lily says yes at the same time Rufus says no. Lily glances at Rufus, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Uh...well, I guess daddy and I will have to talk about Tyler coming." Lily says for them both, wondering what Rufus' problem with Tyler is. She is guessing that it just has to do with him being an overprotective father. Alex sighs and sticks her lower lip out, complete with batting of the eyelashes. Rufus isn't going to fold as easily as if it were Lily.

"Alex, mommy and I will see okay?" Rufus says in a stern voice. Alex concedes and gives a pint-size glare at her father while wolfing down her pasta. Lily's teeth skim across her lower lip so she won't laugh at the look Alex is giving her husband. Lily is well aware of the fact that Alex probably will rebel against them just like Serena and Jenny did. Hopefully, that won't come for a long time.

After Lily and Rufus clean up dinner, Alex insists that they watch a movie together before she goes to bed. Lily protests at first because she wants to talk to Rufus about the whole Tyler situation, but they can have that conversation later. Alex gets situated on the floor while Rufus cuddles with Lily on the couch.

"You and I need to talk," Lily whispers to him, making sure first that Alex is fully engrossed in the movie. Rufus' eyes lower down to her, knowing what she wants to discuss.

"Okay, later," Rufus rakes his fingers through her shiny golden tresses briefly as Lily drops her head onto his chest. He slinks his free hand under the blanket and splashes it across her abdomen, rubbing it soothingly with his thumb. Lily smiles softly and reroutes her attention back on the movie.

When the movie is over, Alex understands that it is time for her to go to bed. She stands up to give Lily a kiss goodnight and then follows Rufus into her bedroom. Lily separates from them to go into the master bedroom. She changes into a light pink chemise and slides into bed to wait for Rufus.

Rufus strides into their bedroom and sits on his wife's side of the bed, causing her to move over towards the middle.

"Rufus, why don't you want Tyler to come to our get together this weekend?" Rufus sighs and combs a piece of hair out of Lily's eyes.

"It's not that I don't want him to come, I don't think Alex should be that close to him." Lily rolls her eyes,

"Oh come on Rufus, she is three-years-old, don't be absurd."

"This isn't about how old she is it's about setting limits for her, which you seem to be incapable of doing." Lily's mouth drops open and she backs into the pillows, away from Rufus.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You don't ever say no to her. I don't want to seem like the bad parent because I do."

"I am trying to give Alex the best life that I can, don't hold that against me." Lily's voice gets dangerously low at the end of her sentence.

"She needs to learn that she can't get whatever she wants."

"And she will, but I am not going to prevent her from having the life that she deserves. What, do you want Alex to be like Jenny and Dan who hated this world because they couldn't afford it?" Lily's mouth clamps shut after realizing the depth of the words she just spoke. Rufus stands up and shakes his head at her, not even believing what he is hearing.

"I gave my kids everything that I could and you know that." Rufus turns to leave,

"Rufus, wait, I didn't mean…" Lily starts, but Rufus is already near the door. He stops, pivots on his feet to face her,

"I am going out for a few hours." He leaves her in their bedroom and heads downstairs toward the elevator. Rufus can't be here anymore, he doesn't need to hear Lily criticizing him for his parenting skills, especially when it comes to money. He fully comprehends that they come from two different worlds, but the societal lines have never been as distinct in their marriage as they are now.

Lily lets Rufus go; there is no point in trying to stop him. She regrets what she just said to him, he didn't deserve that. He is a great father regardless of his financial status. She honestly didn't mean to say that to Rufus, she was just angry. She got defensive when he said that she is powerless to set boundaries for Alex. Many people on the Upper East Side disapproved of Lily for not doing that with Serena and she didn't want to hear it from her own husband. Still, that is no excuse for the things that she said to Rufus.

_Great job Lily; you did a great job of pushing your fifth husband away. _Lily thinks to herself and feels tears prick at the corner of her eyes. She uses the back of her hand to wipe away a tear tumbling from her eyelid. She has no right to cry, she is the one who hurt Rufus.

Rufus enters a bar near the apartment complex. He slumps into a seat and orders a scotch from the bartender. Rufus takes a sip and debates whether he should go back to the penthouse tonight. He realizes that if he goes back, she will apologize, but a part of him wonders why she said it. Was it the truth? Did he inadvertently hurt his kids by sending them to the Upper East Side for school? Rufus shakes the thought out of his head, both of his children have graduated, there is no use in mulling over that now. He is more worried about his marriage and whether they used that fight as an excuse to push each other away, something they are very good at after being with each other for so long.

Lily waits a little over an hour before she calls her husband. She sets her book down on the nightstand and reaches for her phone. Not shockingly, Rufus sends her to voicemail.

**Hi this is Rufus Humphrey, I'm not here right now, but if you leave a message I'll be sure to get back to you.**

"Hi Rufus, it's me, probably the last person you want to hear from right now. I just want you to know that I am so sorry and I love you. Please come home, our bed is cold without you in it. Okay…bye." Lily lets her iPhone fall onto the bedside table and she turns over, extending her arm to grab Rufus' pillow.

Rufus pays for his tab and steals his phone off the bar counter. He sighs when he sees that he has a voicemail from his wife. Against his better judgment, he listens to it and softens. Lily is never the first one to admit fault, but she is doing that here. Maybe it's worth hearing her out before running away. She is obviously sorry and he has forgiven her for a lot worse. Rufus muses on the conversation they had in their bedroom while walking back to the penthouse. Right as he opens the door, Vanya swiftly advances towards him.

"Mr. Rufus, Ms. Lily has been calling for you all night." This is news to Rufus,

"She has?" Vanya nods and informs him that Lily has been checking almost every half hour to see if he has come back. "Thank you Vanya, I think I am going to see my wife."

"Here, for Ms. Alex," Vanya produces a lollipop out of his pocket and hands it to Rufus. Rufus mumbles thanks again and takes the elevator to the penthouse.

He is half expecting Lily to be waiting on the couch for him, but all the lights downstairs are turned off. So, Rufus does a quick check on Alex to make sure she is still sleeping before opening the door to the master bedroom. Lily is cocooned around his pillow on his side of the bed. Rufus can tell that she was crying by the tear tracks running down her cheeks. He should probably let her sleep, but he just wants to alleviate this tension between them right away. Rufus gingerly sits down on her side of the bed and puts a hand on her back, massaging it gently.

"Hmmm…" Lily stirs and slowly, her eyes flutter open. She shoots up like a spring when she discovers her husband is sitting beside her. Her arms loop around his neck and she buries her head into his neck. "Rufus, I am so, incredibly sorry. You are a wonderful father and I am an idiot. I'm sorry."

Rufus coils his arms around her back, sensing tears pool onto his t-shirt. He pulls her back slightly, cupping her face with his hands.

"Lil, it's okay, I know now that you didn't mean to hurt me."

"I didn't, but I still shouldn't have said what I said." He kisses her on the forehead and brings her close to his lap.

"We are doing it again you know," Rufus comments. Lily furrows her eyebrows and looks up at him.

"Doing what?"

"What we did before our last wedding, getting into petty arguments because we can't compromise on something."

"Oh, right, we are great at doing that huh?" Lily tilts her head to look up at him, thrilled to see a smile on his face. He compresses a kiss to her temple.

"Mhmm…the best, we can tell Alex that Tyler can come." Lily laughs despite everything that has transpired between them tonight.

"Great, I am glad that you can see it my way." Without preamble, Rufus roughly pushes her into the pillows so he is hovering over his wife. Lily gasps as his lips mesh into hers. She drapes her arms around his neck, feeling herself melt into his kiss. "Let's get these clothes off of you," Lily whispers, ducking away from him and tugs at his shirt, yanking it off his torso and throwing it off the bed. She then works to get his jeans and belt off, chucking them where his shirt lies. He is clad only in his boxers and rolls them over, wanting to get Lily's nightgown off before he is completely naked.

He slips each strap off of her shoulder, using his hands to bring it down her chest, abdomen, hips, legs and toes. Rufus moves his hands to her breasts, stopping when he hears Lily whimper.

"Ow…Rufus, that hurts."

"I'm sorry, I thought I was doing it softly," Rufus diverts his hands to her hips. She shakes her head,

"It's fine," Rufus rolls them over so he can place feather light kisses to both of her breasts. Lily dips her head back for a second, but tries to focus on slipping his boxers off. He hums and inches his fingers toward her underwear, looping his finger around the fabric. He seductively smirks at her while the panties skim down her long legs. Lily laughs at the lust sparkling in his eyes and hooks her arm around the nape of his neck to bring him down for a kiss. They roll over again while kissing. Rufus gently guides Lily into him, starting out with slow, gentle thrusts.

"You feel so good," Rufus mumbles, lifting her pelvis up so she can plunge in deeper. Lily grinds out her husband's name between her teeth and digs her fingernails into his back. He moves his lips to the side of her face, keeping up the pace, saying her name with a hushed breath, feeling her tighten around him as her orgasm races through her. He moves his right hand to the small of her back as he exhales loudly into the air surrounding them, sensing his climax coming from the soles of his feet up into his stomach making his knees weak, his balance thrown off by earth shattering ecstasy he is experiencing.

"Damn," Rufus helps Lily ease off of him. Their tryst was quick, but very satisfying. Lily's laughter bounces off his skin.

"I take it I'm forgiven?" She asks, placing a tempting kiss on his jaw.

"Definitely." Lily giggles and opens up the covers for them. Rufus scoots her closer to him, giving her a sweet goodnight kiss.

The next morning, after Lily drops off Alex at school, she comes back to the penthouse. A hot bowl of oatmeal is already set out for her on the counter. She smiles and sits at the table to eat her breakfast while Rufus is taking a shower.

When Rufus is done getting ready a while later, he sees Lily flipping through the file she didn't get to finish yesterday. She takes off her reading glasses and advances towards him.

"Rufus, baby…" Lily starts, but is cut off by a loud exhale from her husband.

"What do you want Lil?" He extends his arms so they are resting on the apex of her hips, drawing her closer to him.

"How do you know that I want something?"

"You only call me baby when you really need a favor from me." Lily shakes her head,

"I do not!" Rufus gives her his classic Lily look, complete with a quirk of the eyebrow.

"Really? So you calling me baby has no strings attached?" Lily's cheeks turn a rosy hue and she stutters slightly.

"N-N-Not exactly, I was wondering if you would go grocery shopping for me. You know how much I hate it and I could pick up Alex for you. Please?"

"I guess, just don't call me baby." Lily crosses her arms,

"I thought you liked it when I did that."

"No because that term of endearment usually involves me doing something for you."

"Fine, then don't call me sweetie. It makes me feel like a child."

"Agreed," Rufus and Lily shake hands before locking lips.

"I think we should just stick to what we usually call each other. You know, Rufus, Lily, Lil, my darling, darling, sweetheart, honey, etc…" Rufus nods in agreement.

"So I can't call you pumpkin or honeybuns?" Lily glares at him.

"No, you can't."

"Why not, cupcake?"

"Rufus!" Rufus laughs as Lily hits him on the arm. He smiles and plants a kiss on her lips.

"I have to get some stuff done before I have to pick up Alex. You go to the grocery store cuddlemuffin," Lily slaps him on the ass before turning to walk upstairs.

"You are going to pay for that later Lil!" Rufus yells after her, hearing her giggle all the way to their room.

Lily picks Alex up while Rufus goes to the grocery store. Alex insists on going shopping for Lily's dress, but the toddler is forced to take a nap because her older siblings are coming for dinner.

"Mommy, I don't wanna nap! I not tired." Alex insists, although her drooping shoulders tell a different story.

"Honey, I promise we can go shopping tomorrow since you don't have school. Okay? Come on, we can watch a movie in my room."

"Alwight, I guess movie is good," Lily flings Alex over her shoulders, carrying her fireman-style up to the master bedroom. Alex's infantile laughter echoes through the empty penthouse. Lily and Alex climb into bed and turn on a Disney movie Alex has seen a hundred times. Just like Lily thought, her three-year-old passes out immediately and she follows pretty quickly after that.

By the time Lily and Alex are fully awake, Alex is adamant on changing into her new floral dress. Lily helps her re-do her hair before getting redressed herself. Rufus is busy cooking dinner when all of their kids start pouring in, sans Scott and Chuck who are busy with other things.

"Hey kids," Lily says excitedly, dropping Alex on the floor so she can greet her siblings. Lily brushes a kiss to each of her and Rufus' children and goes over to stand by her husband.

"Another mandatory family dinner, what is going on?" Serena asks, wondering what could be up with her mom and stepfather now.

"Don't tell me, you found out you are having twins," Eric chips in. Rufus and Lily shoot each other horrified glances.

"No way, it's nothing like that, darling." Lily says while getting herself a drink out of the fridge. Rufus hands Alex a spoon to help stir the bolognaise to keep her occupied.

"Dinner is ready; we will tell you in a second." The kids clamor to get their food and sit down in their usual spots. Jenny assists Alex with grabbing her dinner and setting her up in the high chair. Lily watches their kids interact as Rufus coils his arms around her from behind, rubbing her stomach briefly.

"I am surprised the kids are all getting along, I thought there was a cold war brewing between Dan and Serena." Lily comments, leaning back into his frame.

"I hope there isn't, but even if there is, we don't need to be a part of it. Shall we go tell them?" Rufus steps away from her, offering his hand.

"We could torture them a little longer." Rufus laughs as their fingers interlock. They sit down in their usual seats next to each other and smile at the annoyed expressions on their children's faces.

"Dad, Lily, would you please tell us what is going on?" Jenny asks while stirring her food around her plate.

"Okay, since it was Alex's idea, we thought she could be the one to tell you. Alex?" Rufus asks his three-year-old, apparently disrupting his daughter's meal.

"Ah K daddy, I tell dem. Mommy and daddy are gettin' m-muh- mommy what's dat word again?" Alex asks Lily,

"Married," Lily fills in for her, smiling at their kids shocked faces.

"Yeah and Tywer's comin too!" Alex exclaims with enthusiasm.

"Who's Tyler? Her boyfriend?" Serena asks Rufus and Lily. Rufus frowns and Lily laughs.

"No Sewena, Tywer's my fwend 'cause Daddy say boys have dem cooties," Alex informs her older half-sister with an eye roll. Rufus beams proudly at his daughter.

"Do you really like weddings that much mom?" Eric asks out of curiosity, making Serena and Rufus laugh. Lily's mouth splits open,

"Yeah, well…Rufus and I aren't exactly getting married again; we are just renewing our vows." Lily puts her hand on Rufus' thigh, rubbing it.

"No offense, but isn't that kind of corny?" Dan poses to his dad and stepmother.

"We are desperately trying not to make it lame. No rings, no white wedding dress; we just want to renew our vows at the loft…tomorrow night," Rufus explains.

"Tomorrow night? How are you guys going to pull together a wed…?" Serena trails off, remembering that's what they did the first time.

"We got the guests, the food, the person who is going to officiate us, but the only thing we don't have is music and my dress," Lily says.

"Why don't you get Panic dad? I'm sure they would drop by," Dan suggests. Rufus nods,

"That is a great idea Dan, what do you think Lil?" Rufus turns toward his wife.

"Yeah that sounds great. Serena, Jenny and Alex will you girls help me pick my dress out tomorrow?" Lily asks their daughters.

"Yeah mommy, we get you a pwetty dwess," Alex reassures her mother. Jenny and Serena nod in unison. Lily is surprised that Jenny didn't offer to design her dress, but she is guessing her stepdaughter doesn't want to work under the time constraint again.

"Are you guys going to write your own vows?" Eric asks Lily and Rufus.

"We are going to try," Lily confesses, still nervous because she had such a tough time writing her vows the first time around. She ended up throwing her pre-written vows in the garbage moments before they were supposed to get married. Hopefully, she won't have to wing it this time.

"I wish you luck and you can always run them by me," Serena winks at Lily, referring to how her mother almost repeated her vows from her marriage to Klaus to Rufus. Lily shrugs while Rufus looks at her, looking for an explanation.

"I'll tell you later," Lily whispers in his ear and starts to stand up. "Who wants desert?" She looks down at Rufus who is smirking at her. Lily has a terrible feeling that her husband is about to retaliate for their previous conversation.

"I'll get it _sweet cheeks, _you just sit down," Rufus kisses Lily's forehead as her cheeks flame. Rufus disappears into the kitchen while Lily glares at his back.

"Do we even want to know what that is about?" Dan asks Lily.

"Your father and I had a discussion earlier and that was his way of getting back at me." Lily explains to their children. Rufus comes back with the chocolate cake Lily made, dispersing pieces around the table.

"Did you make this with your Easy Bake Oven mom?" Serena asks teasingly.

"No, I gave that to Alex." Lily winks at Alex who gives her a toothy grin back.

After desert, the kids stick around to play some board games before leaving. Rufus puts Alex to bed while Lily goes into the master bedroom to take a shower. When she gets out Rufus is already in bed waiting for her.

"Hey," Lily slides into bed and kisses the curve of his mouth. He drapes an arm around her shoulder and puts the notebook on the nightstand, out of Lily's line of sight. "What are you working on?" Rufus slings his arm around her, resting his hand on her thigh.

"My vows, have you written yours?"

"No…not yet, I will write them on the way to the loft tomorrow." Lily says, only half-joking. Rufus laughs because he is well aware that she isn't kidding. He gently pushes her out of bed, handing her a piece of paper.

"Go, write your vows and I will see you later," Rufus puts his hand on her cheek and plants a soft kiss on her lips. Lily smiles against his lips and kisses him.

"Wait, why do I have to go?"

"I got in bed first," Lily glares at him and slips out of their bed. She lopsidedly grins over her shoulder and goes downstairs to sit at her desk. Lily fills out some tedious paperwork for Bass before she starts thinking about starting her vows. She is struggling, once again, to evoke her deepest feelings about her relationship with Rufus.

Three hours later, Rufus turns over in bed, expecting to accidently roll onto Lily. She isn't there though; her side of the bed is empty. He is curious as to why he didn't notice this before, he was probably too wrapped up in writing his vows. He pulls back the covers and pads downstairs, looking around for his wife. He finds Lily curled up on the couch, fast asleep with a pen and paper sitting in her lap.

"Lil, honey, wake up," Rufus shakes her leg, seeing her eyes flutter open.

"Huh, oh Rufus, what time is it?" Lily uses her palms to sit higher on the couch.

"Late, did you write anything?" Rufus snatches the piece of paper off her lap before she can stop him.

"Rufus! You aren't supposed to know what I wrote." Lily tries to grab the paper from him. Rufus scans it and furrows his eyebrows when all he sees on the paper is _Rufus Humphrey…_

"Well you know my name, that's a start," Rufus teases her, but Lily doesn't find it funny.

"Maybe we shouldn't be doing this; I have no idea what to say." He notices her distress and brings his arm around her shoulders, dragging her close to him.

"Here I think I know what you can say."

"No, Rufus, I don't want you to have to write my vows for me. That would defeat the whole purpose."

"Just hear me out and you can decide what you want to use." Lily shrugs and places her head onto his chest. Rufus dramatically sighs to begin,

"When I first met Rufus Humphrey, I thought he was the most handsome man I have ever seen in my life. I was just so lucky that he took the time out of his day just to say hi to me…" Rufus trails off when Lily starts to snicker. "What? Is that not what you were thinking of saying?"

"No, I was thinking more along the lines of when I first saw Rufus Humphrey he was just so entranced by my beauty that just he kept staring at me. So, I thought I would take _pity _on him and say hi." Rufus chuckles and shakes his head at his wife. Her smile dissolves when she discovers that she still doesn't have anything to say.

"Lil, it's going to be fine, I am confident that you will come up with something."

"What if I don't? What do I do then?" Lily asks as Rufus stands up.

"Uh…say I love you and then that's it. Come on, let's go to bed." Lily accepts his hand and stands up. Rufus leads her to their bedroom, keeping a firm grip on her hand. They get back under the covers and kiss each other goodnight. Lily stays awake longer than Rufus, listening to him softly snore. She is still terrified that she has only written down two words, both of which are her husband's name. Hopefully, it will come to her in the moment. Regardless, Rufus is saying his vows to her first whether he knows it or not.

The next morning, Lily gets up with Alex so she can get the toddler ready in time to meet Serena and Jenny shopping. There isn't much time to waste today, she still has to write her vows, finalize all the little details for their vow renewal ceremony and pick out the perfect dress.

"Mommy, you gettin married today!" Alex informs her mother with a bright smile. Lily and Rufus agreed that it isn't worth the effort to try and explain to Alex that they aren't technically getting married, just renewing their vows. The concept might be a little too advanced for their three-year-old.

"Yes I am sweetie! Are you excited?" Lily watches Alex do her routine check in the mirror to make sure that everything is up to her standards.

"Yup! It's gonna be so much fun mommy," Alex steps back and takes her mother's hand in her own, escorting her downstairs.

Rufus turns when he hears his wife's heels click down the stairs. Alex is already bounding toward him, requesting a waffle before they go.

"Lil, do you want something to eat?" Rufus asks, setting his coffee mug on the counter. Lily shakes her head, she has already thrown up twice this morning and the day has barely started.

"No, I am fine. Alex, eat fast, we need to go soon okay?" Rufus looks up in concern,

"Lil, have something to eat." His eyes flicker down to her abdomen, then up to her face. Lily sighs in defeat,

"Fine, can you put some toast in for me? I'll be right back." Lily races upstairs, presumably to their bathroom to throw up again.

"Why is mommy actin cwazy daddy?" Alex asks as she watches her father pour the batter into the waffle maker. Rufus lifts his daughter onto the counter, resting an arm on each side to secure her.

"Your mom is just nervous and she is probably going to be cranky so we will have to be extra nice to her today." Rufus puts her down so he can slide two pieces of toast into the toaster before Lily comes back downstairs. Alex goes to hoist herself into her booster seat, buckling herself in. She is going to heed her daddy's warning and be extra nice to her mommy. Lily comes back downstairs and accepts her toast with orange juice graciously. Alex tries to guzzle her waffle down swiftly, but only manages to get syrup everywhere. Lily wipes her clean and swallows the rest of her orange juice in one gulp.

"Alex, go get your coat on please," Lily says while setting her daughter free from the seat. Alex rushes over to the coat closet and grabs her coat along with her mom's bigger, heavier one.

"I probably won't see you until later; I have to pick up Scott at the bus station and my suit. I think the boys and I are just going to get the loft ready and meet the caterers." Rufus says while easing Lily's coat onto her shoulders. She turns to face him, setting her palms on his shoulders.

"Okay I have to write my vows and pick out the perfect dress. Eleanor was furious when I chose not to wear her design. You have no idea how much I want a drink right now." Lily admits as Rufus cups his hands around her hips.

"Lil, were you this frazzled at our actual wedding?"

"Oh, you have no clue. Poor Serena had to calm me down, but I managed...barely." He rolls his eyes and pecks her on the lips.

"I'll see you later, love you."

"Mhmm, love you too," Lily mumbles against his lips and turns to pick Alex up, allowing her to hug and kiss her father. They head to Barney's, meeting up with Serena and Jenny to find the perfect dress. Rufus swipes his wallet off the counter and goes to pick Scott up at the bus stop in Chinatown.

Lily is, of course, having trouble finding the perfect dress. Serena and Jenny recognize that Lily is just being picky because she is nervous. Alex doesn't seem to care and orders Serena to bring any dress she chooses into the dressing room for her mother to try on.

"So, Lily, have you written your vows yet?" Jenny asks while looking at two differently styled pink dresses.

"No, I am still working on it." Serena hears what Lily says and turns to face her.

"Mom, you have to write them."

"I started writing them Serena, but I haven't finished them yet." Lily grabs a jade green dress of the hanger and disappears into the fitting room. She looks at the array of dresses she and her daughters have picked out, each one a different color on the spectrum. She sighs and grabs the first one to try on.

Rufus meets Scott at the bus station and then goes to Men's Warehouse with Dan and Eric to choose their suits.

"We don't have to match do we?" Eric asks.

"No, just pick whatever you guys want. If Lily asks, just tell her it was my idea." Rufus says, nudging his stepson toward a black suit coat.

"I think you should wear a tuxedo that would be interesting." Dan comments and points to a mannequin wearing one.

"If I am more dressed up than Lily, she will murder me. We specifically agreed on not putting too much into the party tonight, although the look on her face would be kind of funny." Rufus is already picturing his wife's trademark pissed off look; finger on the forehead, lips pursed, one hand slung across her torso and already abandons the idea of showing up in a tux.

"What about this one?" Lily asks, this being her sixth dress that she has tried on so far. She steps out in a sky blue, floor-length dress with a sweetheart neckline.

"No, mom, I don't think that is your color," Serena says.

"I agree I like everything about that dress, but that color." Jenny pipes in and looks to Alex to give the final opinion.

"No way mommy, try anoder one." Alex's commentary is blunter than Serena and Jenny's. The toddler doesn't mince words when she doesn't like something which makes shopping for a dress extremely difficult.

"Alex, the only dresses you like are the ones you picked out," Serena tells her three-year-old half sister in amusement.

"I know Sewena, dats why I got dem dwesses silwy." Alex remarks as if that is obvious. Lily checks the time on her phone, she needs to decide on a dress so she can get Alex fed and down for a nap before it's time to get ready. She sorts through the dresses, not wasting time on the ones that don't really appeal to her. Lily picks the jade green dress that she chose to try on. Immediately when she slips the dress on, she knows that is the one she wants to wear.

"What do you girls think?" Lily asks, doing a full twirl around. The dress is similar to the blue one she just had on, but it's a tad shorter and has rhinestone detailing at the top.

"I like that one the best; I think you should definitely get that one." Serena speaks up for everyone.

"Yeah I agree, that is the best one we have seen so far," Jenny says. Alex nods her head in agreement, it isn't one she chose, but her mom does look great in it.

"Perfect! I'll go change and then we can get some lunch," Lily goes back into the fitting room to redress into her original clothes.

"Dad, what are we doing here? I thought Lily didn't want another ring," Dan says as the boys step into the jewelry store.

"I'm not getting her another ring; I just want to see if they have any different wedding bands. Lil says hers slides a little," Rufus tells his son while surveying the store. He chats with a worker at the store and buys another wedding band for his wife.

Lily and Alex take the car back to the penthouse. Jenny and Serena are going to get ready and meet at the loft later on. Alex is too wound up to sleep, but Lily is more insistent than usual that her daughter needs to take a nap.

"Mommy, I don't wanna nap, I pfink you should go get married now," Alex tells her mother with a twinkle in her eye. Lily shakes her head,

"That doesn't come until after you take a nap. Go, I will be there in a minute," Lily nudges her daughter towards the stairs. Alex frowns, but heads upstairs to potty and then climbs into her bed. Lily reads her daughter a story before going into her own bedroom to work on her vows.

Everything she comes up with is either way too cheesy or not meaningful enough. Lily is having a hard time striking that balance which is very frustrating for her. The downstairs trashcan is filled with crumpled up balls of paper that Lily was working on. She groans and throws the notebook off the bed. Lily has half of her vows written and will just have to come up with the rest later. Right now, she just needs a few hours to nap.

Alex wakes up a few hours later and goes into her parent's room. Her mother is fast asleep on her father's side of the bed.

"Mommy, wakey wakey!" Alex hits Lily's thigh over the blankets. Lily grumbles and pops one eye open. Lily lifts Alex high in the air and then sets her on her lap. Lily tickles Alex under her chin until she gives in. "Okay mommy, stop pwease!"

"Alright, we should probably start getting ready," Lily gets out of bed and helps Alex get dressed.

"Mommy can you do my hair?" Alex asks, tugging on her blonde ponytail. Lily French braids Alex's hair and gives her firm instructions not to ruin her dress before they can leave. She then goes into the master bedroom to change into her dress and fix her hair into a braided bun.

Rufus is starting to get anxious; his wife is running a little late. Nothing out of the ordinary for her, but today is a different. He breaks the rule of not communicating with her to call her cell phone.

"Where the hell is my phone?" Lily grumbles and throws the blankets off the bed, hearing her phone clunk on the floor. "Hello?" She snaps into the phone, not bothering to check who is calling.

"Hello to you too cranky," Rufus says, his voice sounding airy. Lily sighs and sits down on her bed so she can put her heels on.

"Sorry my darling, I know I am running late. Alex and I will be there soon. Are the kids there?"

"Almost everyone is here, except for you," Rufus reminds her.

"Alright, Alex and I are leaving now. See you soon, bye," Lily grabs an ebony clutch and starts piling her stuff in. She sees out of the corner of her eye, Alex dragging both of their coats into the master bedroom. Lily laughs and takes her coat off her daughter's hands. "Okay Alex, we need to go see daddy." Alex puts her coat on while Lily puts on hers.

Lily and Alex take the town car to the loft. About twenty minutes into the drive, Lily realizes she forgot her written vows at home, in her room.

"Oh my god," Lily whispers and bangs her head against the back of the limo.

"What's wrong mommy?" Alex asks, turning her head to look at Lily.

"Nothing sweetie, I just…forgot my vows." The limo turns the corner and the loft comes into view. Lily realizes that it's too late to tell their driver to go back to the penthouse. She gets Alex out of the car seat and takes her into the loft. Rufus and their kids along with Eleanor, Cyrus, Nate, and Blair are waiting. Rufus beams widely at her, but it disintegrates when she doesn't smile back.

"Rufus, I need to talk to you," Lily says to him quietly, ignoring all of the other guests. Rufus puts her hand on the small of her back and leads her into his bedroom.

"Lil, you look beautiful," Rufus kisses her cheek. Lily manages a miniscule grin,

"I forgot my vows at the penthouse; I don't know what to do. I am freaking out here Rufus. I have to go back and get them…" Rufus puts his hands on her bare arms, gliding them up and down.

"Hey, it's okay, I'll go first and you winged it last time, you'll be fine." He puts his hands on top of hers.

"What if I screw up and say the wrong thing?"

"Impossible," Rufus stamps a kiss on her lips and grabs her hand. Lily reluctantly follows him out of the bedroom and they hold hands until they stand in front of the person Chuck found to officiate them. They take off their rings and hand them to the officiator. Rufus and Lily clasp each other's hands and turn to face their guests.

"So, who is going first?" The officiator asks the couple. Lily clears her throat and nudges toward their guests.

"She's just shy so I guess I will say mine first." Rufus says eliciting laughter from everyone. "Lil, I have loved you for over twenty five years and I still love you very much. You are the most complicated and stubborn person I have ever met, but I couldn't imagine my life without you in it. I promise to always cook you waffles and chili, to annoy you with my snoring and to never give up on us." Lily tears up slightly and laughs.

"I'm only crying because I'm pregnant, you marshmallow," Lily whispers and breaks contact to wipe away a tear. Rufus slides her wedding band on, smiling when she realizes that he bought her a new one.

"Uh huh, sure Lil, your turn," Rufus mumbles to her, grabbing her hand again. Lily shakes her head and begins when prompted by the officiator. Serena and Jenny wink at each other, excited to see what Lily wrote.

"Rufus, I love you. Even though there are times when I want to beat you with your waffle maker, but then I would think I look terrible in orange. Nobody looks good in orange, maybe if the jumpsuits in jail were purple…" Lily trails off when Rufus squeezes her hand. She sighs and lets out a laugh, causing everyone in the room to giggle uncomfortably. "I'm rambling and nervous, but what I am trying and failing to say is I love you more than anyone and thank you so much for putting up with me." Lily finishes her speech and puts Rufus' old wedding ring on his finger.

"So by the power vested in me you two are officially husband and wife… still. You may kiss your wife," The officiator says and steps back. Rufus dips Lily down and pulls her in for a passionate kiss. Lily instinctively drapes her arms around her husband and parts their lips for a deeper kiss. The kids grumble and Serena puts her hand over Alex's eyes. Rufus eventually brings Lily to her feet, wrapping an arm firmly around her waist.

"Not enough!" Cyrus cries and the couple kisses again briefly. They separate when their kids groan. Rufus smiles against Lily's lips,

"Let's eat!" Rufus announces and brings his wife over to where the caterers set up the food.

"Mommy, when's Tywer comin?" Alex asks, tugging on Lily's dress. Lily scoops Alex off the floor,

"Soon sweetie, do you want some food?" Rufus hands Lily a plate full of finger food for her and Alex to share. Alex takes the plate and runs away, leaving Rufus and Lily to chat with their kids.

"Scott, I am so glad you could make it," Lily tells their son and hugs him.

The loft door opens, revealing Tyler and his parents. Alex jumps off Chuck's lap to greet her friend. Lily and Rufus walk over to chat with the little boy's parents.

"Hi Tywer, want some food?" Alex asks, ever the hostess. Alex and Tyler ask Serena and Dan to help them reach the food on the table.

During the meal, Panic arrived to play at the loft. The food is taken away to clear the room for everyone to dance. Rufus finds his wife chatting with Eleanor and asks her to dance.

"Hmmm…I guess," Lily takes Rufus' hand and they walk to the middle of the loft, which has been cleared out.

"So, I tell you to say whatever comes to your mind and you talk about beating me with a waffle maker?" Rufus inquires as they twirl around the loft. Lily looks away and blushes.

"Hey! Give me credit; I turned it around at the end."

Alex sees her parents dancing and other couples starting to join in. She wants to dance as well, so she goes over to Tyler.

"Tywer, let's dance," Alex grabs her friend's hand and mimics what she sees her parent's doing. Lily looks over Rufus' shoulder and a closed-lipped smirk forms on her mouth.

"Rufus, look," Lily whispers, her lips against his ear. Rufus spins them around, frowning when he spots his three-year-old daughter dancing with Tyler. "Leave them alone and dance with me." She captures his attention with a soft kiss on the lips.

"Fine, but if Tyler grabs her ass, I am not responsible for my actions." Rufus says, just to hear her laugh.

"You are ridiculous," Lily shakes her head and brushes another kiss to her lips. Chuck approaches them,

"Sorry to cut in, but I was wondering if I could steal Lily." Lily is touched and leaves her husband to dance with her adopted son.

"Hi Charles, I am so glad you could make it," Lily tells Chuck.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss another one of your weddings," He says in his usual sarcastic manner. "Plus Blair threatened to dress in flannel if I didn't come." Lily giggles at her son's confession.

"That does sound like something Blair would do. I think I am on thin ice with the other Waldorf right now." Lily and Chuck share a laugh as the song ends.

Chuck walks over to Blair who is talking with Serena and Nate. Lily heads over to where her husband is standing with their children. Alex comes over holding hands with Tyler.

"Mommy and daddy?" Alex asks in a tiny voice. Rufus turns at the sound of his daughter's voice, letting her into the circle. He bypasses the fact that his daughter is holding hands with a boy and focuses on Alex's main objective.

"Yes sweetie, do you need something?" Rufus asks.

"Tywer and I wanna get married too!" Alex exclaims with a big smile. Lily tries not to laugh at the shocked expression on her husband's face and clasps his hand. Everyone around them bursts into laughter at the sight of Rufus and Lily's little girl.

"No. NO. There is no way…Lil, take care of this; I'm going to get a drink." Rufus leaves his wife alone to clean up the mess. Lily manages to deter her toddler into marrying and walks over to her husband, who is nursing a glass of scotch.

"Well, at least this wasn't boring honey." Lily comments and presses a kiss to his pouting lips.

**A/N 2: There you have it, 12 thousand and something words, hope you like and want more! Next chapter, Rufus forgets something EXTREMELY important which doesn't sit too well with Lily. Also, start thinking about which gender you guys want, I'm letting you pick. Reviews are greatly appreciated, thanks for reading! **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I will say this now as well as every chapter, thanks for all your lovely comments, they brighten my day. I might be taking a risk with this chapter, but I hope you guys like it! Rated M for sure and I will shut up now so you can enjoy!**

**Chapter Four**

Lily arrives at the doctor's office, alone. She has no clue where her husband is, which is unusual. Today is their baby's sixteen week checkup that she thought Rufus knew about. Lily checks in with the receptionist and sits down, grabbing an old magazine to flip through while she waits. However, Lily can't concentrate on whatever reading material is in front of her so she throws it on the chair next to her. She finds her phone at the bottom of her purse and speed dials Rufus. Surprisingly, he doesn't pick up the phone.

**Hi this is Rufus Humphrey, I am not here right now, but if you leave a message, I will be sure to get back to you.**

"Rufus, it's me, I am here at the doctor's office, without you. Hopefully you get this and come pretty quickly. Okay…bye." Lily hits the end button and tosses her phone back in her purse. She is extremely worried, Rufus is never late for anything and if he is, there is usually a good reason.

Rufus drops Alex off at school before he heads to his meeting with an artist interested in displaying her pieces at the gallery. He shakes hands with the artist and reaches into his pocket to turn his phone on silent, wanting to give the girl his undivided attention.

"Lily Humphrey?" The nurse calls out into the waiting room. Lily does a quick check on her phone and follows the nurse into an exam room. She leaves her bag in the room while she gets her height and weight checked. When Lily is let back in the exam room, she texts her husband to ask where he is. She sets her phone aside when the nurse comes back in to draw her blood. The nurse leaves Lily with assurances that her doctor will be in soon.

"Rufus Humphrey, I am going to kill you," Lily murmurs as she dials her husband again. Rufus doesn't answer and she doesn't bother leaving a message for him this time, something tells her that he isn't coming. There is a knock on the door and Dr. Sutherland opens it, offering a bright smile at Lily.

"Hi Lily, how are you feeling?" Dr. Sutherland shakes Lily's hand and sits in a chair across from the exam table.

"I'm feeling good," _I would be a lot better if my husband was here, _Lily thinks in her mind, but keeps her unpleasant thoughts about Rufus to herself.

"Will Rufus be joining us today?" The doctor asks, against her better judgment. Lily frowns and looks towards the door, wishing her husband would come bursting in with an apology for being late. She will refuse to admit it if anyone asks, but Lily wants, maybe even needs Rufus here, holding her hand during _their _child's appointment.

"No, we can…uh…continue without him," Lily forces a smile on her face, wanting to distract herself from Rufus not being here. This strikes Dr. Sutherland as odd, she distinctly remembers Rufus attending every appointment with both of Lily's pregnancies up to this point. She also notices that Lily seems very distracted, almost on edge. Lily's eyes are focused on the door, as if she is waiting for her husband to make an appearance. It isn't the doctor's place to ask though, even if she wants to.

"Okay, well then why don't we examine you?" Lily goes through the motions of a routine examination, but her mind is somewhere else. The only explanation Lily can come up with as to why Rufus isn't sitting beside her is that something terrible has happened to him. She is expecting a phone call from the hospital about Rufus any minute now. "Lily? Lily, are you listening?"

"Huh? Sorry, I didn't hear you, did you say something?" Lily asks embarrassed that she is so worried about Rufus that she can't even pay attention.

"I was saying that it would be okay if we skipped the ultrasound today since everything looks normal. You can reschedule for sometime next week, after the Thanksgiving holiday." Lily nods and sits up.

"Thank you, I will be sure to do that." They shake hands once more and Dr. Sutherland leaves Lily to change back into her normal clothes. Instead of rushing to get dressed, Lily worriedly grabs her phone, biting her lip when she sees that Rufus hasn't tried to get in touch with her. Lily puts her cell phone down and quickly changes, wanting to leave the doctor's office as soon as possible. She brushes past the receptionist's desk, forgetting to make a follow up appointment on her way out.

The only thing Lily can think of is to call Dan or Jenny to see if they have heard from their father. She would dial Jenny, but she is pretty sure her stepdaughter doesn't get back from Hudson until dinnertime. Lily dials Dan instead, crossing her fingers that her stepson will answer the phone.

"Hello?" Dan asks into the phone.

"Dan! Oh, I am so happy that you picked up. Listen, have you talked to your father at all recently?" Dan furrows his eyebrows,

"Yeah yesterday, didn't he tell you?" Lily opens the car door and rattles off Alex's preschool address to Isaac, her driver.

"Tell me what?"

"We are going out for lunch after his meeting with that artist is over. That's weird that he didn't mention anything to you, are you guys fighting or something?" Lily shakes her head while she is listening to her stepson. She can't believe her husband would do something like this to her.

"No, we are absolutely fine Dan; it just must have slipped my mind. I will talk to you later, bye." Lily hangs up without waiting for a response from her stepson.

"That was odd," Dan mumbles to himself, but shrugs it off. Whatever is going on between his dad and Lily isn't any of his business.

The town car drops Lily off in front of Alex's school. Lily instructs Isaac to wait while she gets out of the car, trying to ignore the tears that are building up in her eyes. She needs to get a hold of herself before facing her daughter. It isn't fair to Alex that her mother can't control her emotions even if she is four months pregnant. Rufus better have a good explanation as to why he decided meetings at the gallery were more important than their baby's appointment.

Lily clears her throat and combs a piece of hair out of her eyes. She will deal with Rufus later; the only important thing right now is picking her daughter up from school.

"Mommy!" Alex exclaims and runs toward Lily, hugging her legs. Lily flashes a genuine smile at her daughter; Alex always has that ability to cheer her up. "Where's daddy?" Lily's smile disintegrates, _good question_.

"He went to lunch with Dan, so I came to pick you up from school. How was your day?" Lily straps Alex into her car seat and slides in on the other side, folding her hands over her baby bump hiding under the khaki trench coat she is wearing.

"Fun! We learned some numbers and talked 'bout nanimals. Tywer let me have some of his cwakers." Alex informs Lily with a radiant smile. Lily is trying to pay attention to what her daughter is saying, but she is finding it hard. She feels hurt and angry at Rufus for what he did. "Mommy, are you listenin?" Alex's voice draws Lily out of her reverie.

"Yes my darling, that was very nice of Tyler to give you some crackers. Did you say thank you?"

"Yup!" Alex chatters on about her day at school while Lily tries to keep up with her daughter's comments. The town car pulls to a stop in front of the apartment complex and Lily gets Alex out of her seat, holding onto her tightly while they walk inside.

Vanya sees Lily and Alex and offers a lollipop to Alex.

"Thanks Vanya! I wuv dem lollis!" Alex tells the doorman and waves at him over Lily's shoulder. When they get back to the penthouse, Lily makes Alex a sandwich with some fruit and milk before her nap.

"Here you go Alex," Lily buckles her daughter in and sets the food down in front of her. Alex takes a few bites of her food while observing her mother. She looks really upset.

"Mommy?" Alex asks after she swallows her bite of food.

"Yes my darling?"

"You okay? I pfink you look sad." Lily's eyes dart away at her daughter's question, she isn't as good at hiding her emotions as she thought, and she is steps away from unraveling completely.

"No sweetie, I'm not sad, just tired." She lies, offering her daughter a convincing smile.

"Mommy, does da baby make you sweepy?" Alex asks, grabbing her sippy cup after. Lily smiles and brushes her hand over her stomach jutting out of the crimson v-neck sweater she is wearing.

"Uh huh, I was thinking of taking a nap after you finish your lunch and get in your bed."

"Dat's a good idea mommy; I take naps when I'm tired too." Lily laughs and steals a blueberry off of Alex's plate.

Rufus meets Dan at a café near the gallery; his meetings ran late and he hopes that Lily picked Alex up from school. He forgot to tell her that he was meeting Dan for lunch.

"Hey son," Rufus hugs Dan and sits across from him at the table.

"Hey dad, I already ordered you your usual; I have to get back to class pretty quickly." Rufus nods in understanding as the waiter sets their drinks on the table.

"That's fine, how is school going by the way?" Dan shrugs,

"It's going good. Hey before I forget to tell you, Lily called me looking for you."

"She did?" Rufus asks, taking his phone out to turn it off of silent.

"Yeah, she sounded upset about something, but wouldn't say." Rufus bites his lip when he realizes that he has a text message and two missed calls from his wife.

"Do you mind if I call her really quick? I want to make sure she is okay."

"No, go ahead, I think you need to." Dan takes a bite of his sandwich while Rufus calls Lily.

"Mommy, look a pwincess!" Alex points to a page in her book, her eyes sparkling. Lily smiles at her daughter's excitement while she hears her phone vibrate against her daughter's nightstand. "Phone," Alex declares offhandedly. Lily hands the book over to Alex and reaches across to snatch up her phone. She frowns when she sees its Rufus calling her, the picture of them together taken at their vow renewal ceremony lighting up the screen. Lily hits ignore and puts her phone back on the table, turning her attention back to her daughter.

**Hi, you have reached Lily Humphrey. Please leave your name and number and I will call you back as soon as I get this. **

Rufus realizes that his wife sent him to voicemail and is perplexed as to what is going on between the two of them. Are they having a fight that he isn't aware of?

"She just…sent me to voicemail…" Rufus says as he sets his phone down. Dan grimaces,

"That is girl code for she is extremely pissed at you. What did you do?"

"I don't know, but I guess I should go find out. Thanks for lunch Dan, I have to run." Rufus throws his jacket on and deposits a twenty on the table for the sandwich he didn't even get to eat. He goes into the front entrance of the restaurant so he can catch a cab back to the penthouse.

Back at the table, Dan takes his phone out of his pocket, dialing Serena. He figures that if anyone of his siblings would know what is going on with Lily, it would be her. Although, Rufus didn't even know, so the chances of his stepsister being aware of the problem are slim.

"Hey Dan, what's up?" Serena asks pushing Blair into Bendel's on Fifth Avenue so she doesn't have to listen to her best friend mock her.

"Um, I'm not really sure, have you spoken to your mom at all today?"

"No, why? Is there something wrong with her or the baby?" Serena is immediately concerned, she doesn't like how nervous Dan is sounding.

"No, nothing like that, I think my dad and Lily are having another one of their silent arguments." Serena breathes a sigh of relief, but she is still frightened.

"Oh, well I am sure that whatever my mom or Rufus did they will work it out, they always do."

"Usually yes, but my dad seemed really worried about her. Look, I know our parents like to keep their problems to themselves, but could you just ask Lily for me?" Serena opens the door to the store, finding Blair trying on a pair of sunglasses.

"Sure I will definitely try, although I'm pretty confident my mom won't tell me. It's probably just a hormone thing…okay…yes I will call her….bye." Serena hits end and approaches Blair.

"Is Humphrey getting his hormones checked again? What a shame, S." Blair quips and turns to show her best friend her sunglasses. Serena giggles and swats at Blair.

"No B, I had to convince him we must not meddle with Rufus and Lily's cold war fights." Blair's chocolate eyes widen with worry.

"Oh no S, is there anything I can do? I could always get Chuck to blackmail Rufus, I am sure there is something from his pretend rock star days that Chuck could hold over your stepfather's head." Serena shakes her head and offers Blair another pair of sunglasses to try on.

"Nah, it sounds like my mom is in one of her pregnancy moods. I will call her and see what is going on. However, we might have to use Gossip Girl depending on how our conversation goes. I will keep you informed," Serena takes her iPhone out of her purse and calls Lily.

"Have a good nap my love," Lily tells Alex and brushes a kiss to her daughter's forehead. She takes her buzzing phone off of the nightstand and closes Alex's door behind her. Lily looks down and sees Serena's face appear on the screen. She hits the answer button on her phone while walking down into the kitchen. "Hello my darling."

"Hi mom…how are you doing?" Serena asks hesitantly, not wanting to upset her mother further. Lily balances her phone on her chin as she digs through the fridge.

"Fine, is there something that you needed to talk to me about?"

"Not exactly, I was just checking on you." Lily's eyebrows spurt together, her daughter sounds anxious.

"Serena, have you talked to Dan today?" Serena almost drops her phone when she hears Lily's question.

"What?"

"You heard me Serena," Lily says sternly, not appreciating the run around her daughter is giving her.

"Yeah…uh, I did. He was worried. Is everything okay between you and Rufus?" Lily sets a carton of strawberries on the counter and puts her finger to her forehead.

"Everything is fine; I just forgot where that he was having lunch with Dan today. I couldn't get a hold of him and was a little freaked out." Lily settles for a half-truth, it is true that she was worried that she couldn't get Rufus on the phone, but everything is certainly not fine.

"Oh good, I told him that it was nothing to get all upset about. Tell Alex, I said hi."

"I will, love you Serena."

"Love you too mom, bye." Serena and Lily hang up the phone with each other. Serena shakes her head; her mom sounded annoyed and frustrated, which means Dan was right. However, she recognizes that Dan is going to want to get involved if he knows something is going on between his dad and her mom. She has to lie to him,

**Dan I talked to my mom and all is okay. See you soon! Xo, -S.**

Dan reads Serena's text, not entirely believing her. If everything is as it should be, Lily wouldn't have sent his dad to voicemail. He turns his phone off; he is going to wait until he hears something from his dad before bringing in Blair to help him get to the bottom of this. Maybe Dan should just trust that Lily and Rufus will be able to work out this minor hiccup by themselves.

Lily hears the elevator doors ding open while she is cutting up some strawberries. Rufus walks over to his wife, wrapping his arms around her, his hands ghosting over her swollen abdomen.

"Hi," he whispers, extending his arm to pilfer a strawberry off of the cutting board.

"Hey," Lily mutters back, refusing to turn and look at him. She knows what he is doing and she isn't going to make this easy for her husband. "Where were you?"

"I had a meeting with an artist and then I went to lunch with Dan." Lily merely nods her head, looking down at Rufus gliding his thumb on her stomach. "Why are you upset?" She tosses the knife she was using into the sink and wipes her hands with a dish towel.

"Did you forget about something?" Lily asks, turning around to face him. Rufus scratches his head,

"I don't think so, I might have not mentioned that I was going to lunch with Dan, but I figured you would pick up Alex." Lily raises her eyebrows at him; they aren't even close to being on the same page. She purses her lips,

"So, your meeting with an artist took priority over our baby's doctor's appointment? That seems to be what you are telling me by not showing up today." Rufus' jaw drops as he runs his hand through his brown strands.

"Oh my god Lil, I am so sorry. I thought that was next week." Lily sighs deeply and nibbles on the inside of her cheek.

"I waited for you. Do you know how worried I was when you didn't come and weren't answering any of my phone calls? I thought something terrible must have happened to you." Rufus feels awful; their appointment totally slipped his mind.

"Honey, I sincerely apologize. I would never intentionally skip something this important, you know that." Lily's eyes fill with tears, she wants to believe him, but she is still very hurt.

"I think I am going to lay down for a little bit." Rufus drops his hands that were encircling her waist. Lily looks up and takes in a shaky breath as she starts to turn away from him, intent on hiding in their bedroom for a few hours.

"Lily," Rufus tries to grab her arm, bring her back so he can explain that he really didn't mean to hurt her, he just got his dates mixed up.

"Please Rufus, I just need some time alone," Lily whispers, a tear escaping from her eye. She wipes it away and leaves him in the kitchen, the strawberries she was cutting up, untouched.

Rufus bends his elbow on the counter, balancing his head on it. He understands why she is upset and wants to make it up to her, but doesn't know how. For now, the best thing he can do is give her the requested few hours to herself and he will do his best to grovel.

Lily checks on Alex before climbing into her own bed, closing the door behind her, she kind of hopes that Rufus comes in here to check on her, even if she told him not to. She thinks he will, but he'll wait until she is fast asleep.

Over an hour later, back in Brooklyn, Dan sets his book down when he hears a knock on the door. He opens it and is bombarded by a hug from Jenny.

"Hey Dan, I brought a surprise," Jenny says and turns to wave at someone he can't see. Dan's jaw drops when he sees that Alison Humphrey, his and Jenny's mother, standing in the threshold of the door with her suitcase.

"Hi…mom," Dan mutters, engulfing his mother in a hug. Alison picks her suitcase back up and follows her children into the loft, the home she shared with Rufus and their children for eighteen years.

"Hey Dan, I am so happy to see you," Alison hugs both of her kids, excited to see them together again.

"Mom, not that I am not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?" Jenny rolls her eyes at Dan's question as she goes to the fridge to get a drink.

"Well, I thought I could have an early Thanksgiving with you two since Alex is away at art retreat. I know your father and Lily are doing their own thing with Alex so I don't want to bother them. I just want to spend time with you guys," Alison assures her son.

"Oh, well are you staying here? Dan asks, gesturing toward her suitcase.

"No, I rented a hotel room, this isn't my home anymore."

"Mom, you know dad wouldn't mind if you stayed here." Alison shakes her head.

"Nah, I don't want to impose. So, anyway, what's going on in your life Dan? Score any hot girls since Serena?" Jenny laughs while Dan is reaching for his phone, texting Serena to call him.

"Dan would actually have to talk to another girl besides Serena to make a connection," Jenny teases. Dan sneers at her as his phone rings.

"Sorry mom, I will clue you in on my fascinating life after I talk to Serena."

"Tell her I say hello!" Jenny yells at Dan, who is walking into his room.

"Hey Dan, what's with the secret text message? Why didn't you just call me?" Serena asks, rolling over on Blair's bed while she is talking.

"Well, I would call you, but I didn't want to tip off my mother who is sitting in the kitchen, chatting with me and my sister." Serena glosses over everything Dan says except for the words "my mother".

"What do you mean your mother is in your kitchen? Why would she be there?" Serena asks with apprehension, holding her hand up for Blair who raises her eyebrows.

"I wish I knew. I don't know what to do; she's here, my dad's with Lily who happens to be pregnant and they are fighting right now. Plus, what about Alex? What are we going to do about her?"

"Dan! Dan! Calm down! I will tell my mother about your mother at the right time, just relax. Go out there and pretend everything is fine. I know this is weird, but don't do anything rash until you hear from me." Serena hangs up with Dan and tosses her phone on the bed. Blair looks down at her best friend, wondering what her call with Dan was all about.

"Hey S, what's with the expressive eyebrows and what did I hear about Humphrey's runaway mother?"

"_Dan's_ mother is here, in Brooklyn, at Rufus' loft. My mom and Rufus are fighting right now." Blair furrows her eyebrows,

"So, are you saying that Rufus brought his hippie ex-wife into town because he and your mom are arguing? Wow, Rufus has some stones, I will give him that." Serena frowns at her best friend.

"All I am saying is the timing is eerily convenient. I'm not sure if I should tell my mom about Alison yet. You were there for that Thanksgiving all those years ago; my mom and Alison hate each other." Serena gets off the bed and starts pacing around.

"Relax S, it's my job to be the paranoid one. Do you want me to handle it?" Serena shakes her head,

"No, I should be the one to tell my mom about Alison if Rufus isn't going to. B, promise me you won't be you for the next few hours." Serena sternly points at Blair, being completely serious. Blair holds her hands up defensively,

"I won't do a thing, now go get to the bottom of this Humphrey conundrum." Blair waits until Serena is completely out of her room before she lunges at her phone, dialing Chuck.

"Hey, I need your help with something, it's urgent."

"You know I am more than willing to help you. In fact I remember yesterday helping you by…"

"Oh shut up Chuck, this is serious and it involves your favorite adopted mother." Blair says, knowing Chuck will immediately agree if it deals with Lily.

"Bore me with the details, I am on my way."

Chuck arrives within ten minutes at the Waldorf penthouse. Blair can tell that he is upset by what she told him.

"Wow, you run fast, I am surprised that your scarf didn't fly off in the process." Blair jokes, in order to lighten the mood.

"No, but I have a plan to get back at my future former adopted stepfather." Blair leans forward in her desk chair, intrigued by Chuck.

"I am all ears Bass, this better be good."

Serena is walking down Madison Avenue when her phone beeps in her purse.

**Uh oh Mr. Lonely Boy, it looks like you have been caught red handed! We always knew you had a thing for blondes, but this one isn't your wife. In fact, we don't know who she is. It's time to play Nancy Drew kitties! **

Serena shakes her head as she puts her phone back into her Marc Jacobs bag. The _Gossip Girl _blast is obviously fake and she knows who sent it. Of course Blair couldn't leave this alone; she couldn't resist digging deeper into a possible scandal. Her best friend probably dragged Chuck into this too, using his weakness for Lily and Alex to her advantage.

At the penthouse, Rufus shuts off the TV in his office and stands up. He has given his wife enough time to cool down and he wants to talk to her, further explain and apologize for what he did, or rather, what he forgot to do.

He opens the door to their bedroom. Lily is lying on her side, facing the door when he enters. Rufus watches her sleep for a couple minutes before gently sitting on the bed beside her. The shirt she is wearing is hiked up on one side, exposing her creamy, expanded abdomen. He trails his hand up the blanket, to her flesh, caressing her stomach and placing a kiss on her forehead. Lily's eyes flutter open and she manages a lopsided smile.

"Hi," slips out, her voice, soft and still clouded with sleep. Rufus removes his hand from her belly to drape across her torso.

"Hi," he whispers back, scooting her closer to him. "I'm sorry."

"I know I realize now that you didn't intentionally mean to hurt me." Rufus smiles at his wife, knowing that she would inevitably come to this conclusion on her own; she just needed a little time.

"How's our kid doing anyway, anything that I need to be worried about?" Lily shakes her head as she readjusts it on her pillow.

"No, our baby is doing just fine. Oh crap…" She breaks off, putting the back of her hand to her forehead.

"What?" Rufus starts using his fingers to skate up and down her arm.

"I forgot to schedule an ultrasound when I was leaving."

"You were that worried about me huh?" Rufus asks, biting his lip when he receives a glare from his wife.

"Don't push your luck. I wasn't _worried _per se, I was more concerned about my life insurance policy I have on you. I was hoping that I could cash it in prematurely."

"Like you need any more money," Rufus teases, letting her deflect for the time being. Lily laughs and reaches up to place a hand on his cheek, pulling him in for a kiss. Rufus rakes his hand through her blonde strands, rolling them over so he isn't putting any pressure on her stomach. Lily moves to straddle him, pausing when she sees an adorable smile blossoming on her husband's lips.

"What? Do I have something on my face?"

"No, it's just you are finally beginning to show, it looks like you have a beer belly." Rufus skims his hand over her stomach once more.

"Shut up Rufus, you are going soft on me." She leans down to kiss him, her stomach brushing up against his.

"Me, soft? I don't think so. I wasn't the one who cried when we watched that stupid Disney movie with Alex the other day."

"I have an excuse, you don't." Lily smiles victoriously and presses her lips to his.

"Hmmm…so anyway, I was thinking since Jenny is back in town, we could have dinner at the loft." Rufus says when their lips disconnect. Lily moves to sit next to him, nodding against the pillows.

"That sounds great! I missed her; I hope she had a good time in Hudson." Rufus drapes his arm around Lily's shoulders, stamping a kiss to her temple.

"I am sure she will tell us all about it at dinner. I have to go grocery shopping since I am sure there is no food at the loft. I will see you there, later?"

"Of course my darling," Lily and Rufus kiss each other goodbye and Rufus leaves. Lily climbs out of bed and jumps in the shower. She wants to get ready before Alex gets up from her nap.

Rufus arrives at the grocery store and grabs a cart. As he is wandering through the aisles, he gives his son a call, wanting to let him know that he and Lily are invading the loft for the night.

Dan sees that it is his dad is calling and is lucky that his mom decided to take a shower.

"Hey dad, what's going on?" Dan asks, desperately trying to conceal his nervous tone.

"Hey son, I just wanted to tell you that I am going to come to the loft tonight." Dan's eyebrows raise, he assumes that whatever reason Lily sent his dad to voicemail at lunch has manifested into his stepmother kicking his father out. He doesn't want to tell his dad about Alison being here because it won't stop his dad from coming anyway.

"Oh, well that's good since Jenny is coming home."

"Yeah, I figured I would cook you and your sister dinner and talk about her trip to Hudson."

"Great, I will see you when you get here then." Rufus and Dan hang up with each other. Immediately, Dan dials Serena to tell him this new development, unaware that he is misreading the situation.

"Hey Dan, what did you find out?" Serena asks.

"It's not good Serena; my dad is coming to the loft. Lily must have told him to stay there." _Of course Rufus is going over there without my mom. How nice for him, _Serena thinks to herself. This must be Rufus' way of retaliating, picking another fight with Lily so he could have an excuse to spend time at the loft with his ex-wife. Serena shakes her head; thinking that she has it all figured out; only she isn't aware that Rufus doesn't know Alison is in town, at his loft. In her mind, the only thing left to do is tell her mother what Rufus is doing so she isn't blindsided.

"Alright, I will go over to my mom's and tell her that Alison is here."

"What am I supposed to do? Your mom is pissed at my dad and his ex-wife is in town, this doesn't really equal a happy Thanksgiving."

"Just keep playing it like everything is normal, have dinner with Rufus and your mother and I will handle my mother. Hopefully, she doesn't divorce your father after this." Serena hangs up the phone with a frustrated sigh. She gets even more agitated when her phone rings, signaling that Eric is calling her.

"Hey E, what's going on?" Serena asks stupidly, full aware of what her brother is calling about.

"What is going on? Have you been on Gossip Girl recently? Is Rufus cheating on mom?" Eric shoots questions at his sister frantically, demanding answers.

"No, listen E, it's a long story. The short version is Alison is in town and mom and Rufus got into a fight. Rufus is going to the loft and mom doesn't know that Alison is here. The Gossip Girl blast was fake, that was Chuck and Blair's way of getting involved, they wanted to expose Rufus and have proof to take to mom. The only person Rufus is seeing is his ex-wife."

"Well, what should we do?" Eric asks, simply beside himself.

"I am going to warn mom about Alison and then I don't know, maybe go to Brooklyn to see what is going on for myself."

"Okay, well if you are going over there, let me know."

"Don't worry Eric, I will fix this. If Rufus is cheating on mom with Alison, I will find out."

"Please keep me in the loop Serena."

"I will, don't worry E." Serena hits end on the phone and takes in a shaky breath. This situation reminds her too much of the Rufus and Holland incident a few years ago. Holland told Serena that Rufus slept with her to get back at Lily. Although that didn't turn out to be true, it's not a coincidence that the same situation is happening again, only what Serena doesn't realize is, it's not and she is about to make a huge mistake.

Alex wakes up when Lily is putting the finishing touches on her outfit. An ivory t-shirt dress paired with magenta heels and jewelry to add a dash of color.

"Hi mommy, you look pwetty," Alex comments as she sits on her mom's big bed.

"Thank you my darling, we are going to eat at the loft tonight with daddy, Dan and Jenny. Do you want to change or wear what you have on now?" Normally Alex would change, but the toddler is wearing her favorite long sleeved, plum sweater dress.

"No mommy, dis is my favorite dress. My hair is bad tho, can you make it better?" The three-year-old asks, jutting her lip out, batting her eyelashes for extra effect.

"Sure honey, but we have to be quick. I have a stop to make before we go to see daddy." Lily quickly fashions Alex's hair into pig tails, but is forced to do it again when they aren't even. After the third try, Alex is satisfied and runs to grab her tote bag full of toys. Lily grabs her own purse and meets Alex downstairs so they can put their coats on.

Rufus arrives at the loft, carrying arm loads of groceries. Dan rushes to help, curious as to how long his dad plans on staying here by the sheer enormity of groceries he bought.

"Here dad," Dan takes a few brown bags off Rufus' hands, setting them on the counter.

"Thanks, I told Lil I would cook her dinner here tonight, she should be here with Alex relatively soon." Dan freezes on his way to the fridge, _oh shit. _

"Wait? Lily is coming here? I thought you two were mad at each other." Dan swerves to face Rufus, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline.

"We worked it out, why do you look so…Dan-like right now? What is going on son?" Rufus puts his hand on his hip, leaving the groceries alone for the moment.

"Uh, dad, I didn't want to be the one to tell you this, but mom is here. She and Jenny ran out real quick to grab some lady thing mom forgot to bring."

"_What? _Did you say Alison is here, in Brooklyn? When did she get here?" Rufus is surprised to say the least, he is terrified. Lily and Alison hate each other and his wife is pregnant, he doesn't want to stress her out.

"Uh…this afternoon, she wanted to surprise me and Jenny with an early Thanksgiving since Alex is out of town."

"Why didn't you tell me when I called earlier?" Rufus is irritated by his ex-wife and his son. He understands that Alison has the right to see their kids whenever she wants, but a little heads up from her would have been nice.

"I thought Lily kicked you out because of your fight. I was going to tell you when you got here since I knew you were coming. Sorry, I didn't know what to do." Rufus shrugs,

"It isn't your fault son, but I need to get a hold of Lily. Do you know when your sister and mom are coming back?"

"They should be back any second. Dad, I know you are angry, but Jenny is so happy that mom is here, just…try not to get too upset with mom okay?" Rufus nods and Dan starts putting groceries away while his dad reaches for his phone, dialing the penthouse.

"Mom? Alex? Are you guys here?" Serena calls out when she steps off the elevator. She doesn't hear a response; instead the phone rings on the coffee table.

"Hello? Lil?" Rufus asks into the phone. Serena is wondering why Rufus is calling, probably to apologize to Lily. She doesn't know where her mother is and assumes that she doesn't want to talk to her husband.

"She isn't here; I don't know where she and Alex are." _I do, _Rufus thinks to himself, realizing that his wife and daughter are on their way here to see him.

"I really need to talk to her," Rufus emphasizes.

"I know about Alison, Rufus. The only thing I am unsure of is why everyone knows except for my mother. What exactly are you trying to do here?" Rufus narrows his eyes in confusion. Serena obviously doesn't know the full story. He is guessing she knows what Dan told her, that Alison is in town and that him and Lily are fighting, which was true four hours ago.

"That is why I am trying to get a hold of your mother Serena; I need to tell her that Alison is here." Rufus explains, but Serena isn't buying it.

"I think that wherever she and Alex are, my mom won't want to talk to you, goodbye Rufus." Serena hangs up on her stepfather and reaches for her cell phone to dial her best friend.

"B, it's me. Can you get your black beret and meet me in Brooklyn? We have some spying to do." Blair detests the thought of going on the other side of the bridge, but it is for her best friend.

"Sure S, just give me twenty minutes." Blair hangs up and quickly runs to her closet. Serena texts Eric to have him meet her and Blair outside of the loft in twenty.

Rufus hangs up the phone and turns towards his son.

"What's wrong dad?" Rufus sets the phone down on the counter and shakes his head.

"I just realized that Serena inherited her stubbornness from Lily. I am curious though, why does she seem to think that I am hiding Alison here because Lily and I are in a non-existent fight?" Dan blushes as he cuts the green beans.

"Well…I was concerned when Lily sent you to voicemail at lunch so I called Serena to see if she could get something out of Lily. That spiraled into us thinking that Lily kicked you out and with mom showing up here, it kind of steered Serena in the wrong direction." Rufus is about to yell at his son for getting involved in his marriage, when the loft door swings open.

"Dan! We're home!" Alison calls out and tells Jenny to close the door behind her. Dan bites his lip, his eyes sliding over to Rufus, waiting to see what he wants to do. Rufus closes the oven and walks into the living room.

"Alison," Rufus mutters, shocked beyond belief to see his ex-wife standing in his home. He hasn't seen her in over five years.

"Rufus," Alison says back, wondering why he is here when he should be at the penthouse with Lily and Alex.

"Dad?" Jenny asks.

"It's nice to have the family back together again," Dan quips from his view from the kitchen. Rufus angles his head towards his son, silently telling him that he has done enough damage for one day and should stay quiet.

"Rufus, what are you doing here?" Alison asks, setting her bag down on the nearest chair.

"I was going to ask you the same question Al." Jenny brushes past her parents to stand next to Dan, not wanting to interfere.

"Well, I wanted to surprise the kids with an early Thanksgiving since I won't see them over Christmas."

"You could have called to tell me you were coming." Alison bats her hand in the air,

"I didn't want to bother you; I know you are with Lily. Trust me, this isn't about seeing you Rufus; I just want to spend some time with our children." Rufus nods, he is glad to hear that his ex-wife has no malevolent intentions; she truly is here for their kids, which is something he is okay with.

"Good, you can take my bed." Alison shakes her head,

"No, Rufus that's not necessary, I already rented a hotel in the city."

"Nonsense Al, you are staying here. Please, I insist on it." Alison shrugs, she knows how stubborn Rufus can be, it's better if she just says yes.

"Sure, do you need help with dinner?" Rufus nods and Alison goes by her kids in the kitchen to start cooking.

Ten minutes later, Serena, Blair and Eric see a town car pull up outside of the loft. They quickly crouch behind some garbage cans in order not to be seen.

"Did Rufus invite some high end strippers to join him and Alison too?" Blair snarks and grabs her binoculars off the ground to see who is getting out of the car. "Hey S, what is your mom doing here?"

"What?" Serena yanks the binoculars out of Blair's hand to confirm that her mother and half sister are heading up to the loft. "Oh my god…" She puts a hand to her mouth and hands the binoculars back to her best friend.

"Serena, what is wrong with you? Spit it out," Blair commands, seeing her best friend's face become pale.

"Rufus was telling me the truth over the phone. He and my mom are fine and she is about to walk upstairs totally unaware of what's happening. She has no clue that Alison is at the loft, I have to warn her. Come on E," Serena and Eric get up while Blair races to catch the town car fleeing Brooklyn.

"Wait; hold on Serena, phone call?" Eric is so confused by what has transpired over the past few hours.

"When I went to warn mom about Alison, she and Alex weren't there. Rufus called to tell mom about his ex-wife being at the loft, but I didn't believe him. He was right; I owe him a huge apology. Dan and I completely misinterpreted this whole situation." Serena starts walking towards the stairs, but Eric stops her.

"Hey, Serena, before we tell mom what she is going to find out anyway, why don't we wait?"

"Eric, what are you talking about? We can't let her just walk in there naively."

"It's not our job to tell mom, it's Rufus'. She would be more upset with him if we told her instead of him. Come on Serena, you know my idea is better." Eric pleads with his sister, hoping she will agree with his reasoning.

"I guess you are right, but what should we do? Just go back home and pretend this whole thing never happened?" Eric shakes his head,

"Of course not, we are here; we might as well join them for dinner. We just have to wait a few minutes to see if mom storms out or not. If she doesn't, we will go in there and lie saying Dan invited us for dinner." Serena grins at her younger brother,

"I am impressed E, I can't wait until Alex is old enough to join us in our schemes."

Lily knocks on the door as she is opening it. Alex bolts ahead of her, searching for her dad.

"Daddy!" Alex exclaims, locating him in the kitchen with her siblings and some other blonde lady that looks a lot like her mommy. Rufus picks her up and walks her over to meet his wife in the living room.

"Hi sweetheart," Rufus captures Lily's lips, diverting her attention from looking around. Lily wraps her arm around his neck, pulling him in for a deeper kiss.

"Hi, hmm…I brought you something," Lily whispers when their lips disconnect. She holds up a six pack of his favorite beer and hands it to him.

"Mmmm…thank you," Rufus sets Alex down and kisses Lily again. "Look Lil, I have something to tell you." Lily loses her smile by the seriousness of her husband's voice.

"What is it?" Rufus doesn't get the chance to tell her because Alison walks into the living room. Lily's eyes widen and she glances over at Rufus, giving him a what-the-hell look.

"Alison," Lily says slowly, announcing each syllable of her name slowly. Lily bends down to take Alex's coat off and then hers, need something to distract herself in order to regain her footing. Alison watches Lily with interest and tries not to stare at her baby bump; Rufus didn't mention he and Lily are having another baby.

"Hi Lily, nice to see you…again," Alison offers a fake smile to Lily while Alex runs into the kitchen to help Jenny and Dan.

"You too, I am just going to put these coats in Dan's room," Lily brushes past Alison and Rufus to go into her stepson's bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She throws the coats down on the bed and rubs her face with her hands. Lily is so out of her comfort zone and annoyed that she seems to be the only person who didn't know Alison was coming for dinner. Was this why Rufus planned to have dinner here tonight? Or did he just not know that Alison was here?

"I'm sorry," Alison says, realizing by the look on Lily's face that Rufus didn't get a chance to tell her the situation yet.

"It will be fine, I just have to talk to her first," Rufus tells her.

"Okay, I will keep an eye on Alex," Alison goes back into the kitchen to spend time with the kids. Rufus knocks on Dan's door, hearing Lily mutter come in.

Lily is sitting on the bed, tracing the fabric of her Alice and Olivia pea coat. Rufus sits next to her, clasping her hand in his. Lily's eyes stay zeroed in on her coat, managing only a sad smile. He tucks a blonde ringlet back behind her ear, moving his hand to caress her cheek.

"Why didn't you tell me Alison was here?" Lily asks, trying to keep herself calm. Rufus squeezes her hand,

"I am sorry; I was just as surprised as you to see her at my doorstep. I called Serena, but she said that you were already on your way here with Alex." Lily nods, not really knowing what to say. "Lil, everything will be alright."

"I'm not so sure, Alison and I don't exactly get along, and you know that." She says and meets his eyes for the first time since he came into Dan's room.

"Well, we got through that Thanksgiving with William just fine right?" Rufus asks her. Lily leans her head against his shoulder,

"That was a little different Rufus, I told you he was coming a day before and it still started a fight between us," Lily tilts her head to look up at him, kissing him on the jaw.

"Lil, I realize that I should have told you earlier, but I am not going to prevent her from seeing Jenny and Dan, that wouldn't be fair to her."

In the kitchen, Alison is incredibly concerned about Lily and Rufus, wondering why they have been in her son's room for so long.

"Are you sure they are okay? They have been talking for a while," Alison mentions to Dan and Jenny. Dan is surprised that his mom is worried about Lily, he is well aware that they don't get along.

"Who are you?" Alex asks to Alison, looking up from her spot on the counter.

"I am Alison, Dan and Jenny's mom." Alex tilts her head to look at Alison, wondering why her mom and dad are talking in the other room. Alison glances down at the toddler, noticing that she has Rufus' eyes although she looks a lot like Lily.

"Oh! I pfink Wilwam is Sewena and Eric's daddy!" Alex exclaims, making the connection. Her dad was upset when William came last year just like her mom seems upset that Alison is here now.

"You are absolutely right Alex. And mom, don't worry, if they aren't yelling at each other by now then they are fine." Dan assures his mom, shooting a confused glance at Jenny.

"Hey Alison?" Alex asks, putting aside her job of stirring the gravy to ask this new person some questions.

"What's up Alex?" Alison is very amused by this toddler whose eyebrow is crinkled with worry.

"Do you like my daddy?" Jenny and Alison exchange glances with each other.

"She is very blunt," Jenny whispers to her mom, being used to Alex's direct questions.

"Ah, well I did, a long time ago, but your dad loves your mom now." Alex smiles brightly,

"Mhmm! I know cause my dad and mom kiss a lot! It's gwoss but daddy doesn't have dem cooties he tell me 'bout so it's okay." Alison laughs as there is a knock on the door to the loft.

"I'll get it," Dan assures his mom and sisters, running to the door, relieved to see Serena and Eric on the other side. "Oh my god, you have no idea how happy I am to see you."

"That bad huh?" Serena mumbles, giggling while Eric closes the door behind them. "Where are my mom and Rufus? I need to talk to your dad."

"They are actually in my room talking, which is taking a while." Serena nods in understanding and says hi to everyone else.

Rufus and Lily have somehow gone from talking to swapping kisses back and forth on Dan's bed.

"Oh, Rufus, we can't," Lily mutters, feeling little kisses fall onto the curve of her neck.

"I know," Rufus mumbles back, cupping her cheek and pressing a kiss to her lips. Lily backs away, wishing that her hormones would not work against her right now so she wouldn't have the urge to devour her husband while their kids are waiting outside. Lily unbuttons his dark gray dress shirt, dropping a kiss there.

"This shirt brings out the green in your eyes," She mutters, dreamily, sitting up to place tempting kisses on his chest and shoulder. Rufus moans and reluctantly stands up, holding his hand out for her to grab.

"I think your kids are here," Rufus whispers to his wife, turning her around so he can brush a kiss to the nape of her neck. Lily shivers and her knees buckle slightly, but she is still able to maintain her balance.

"Hold on," Lily quickly turns around, buttoning his shirt back up and compressing a kiss to his lips.

"I love you," Rufus says against her forehead, sweeping a kiss across her skin.

"I love you too, you idiot." Lily remarks. She is still a tad confused on why it took her coming to the loft to run into Alison for her to know that Rufus' ex-wife is here. She wants to believe that her husband truly had no idea that Alison was coming, but she isn't so sure.

"I have feelings you know," Rufus says, pushing her out into the living room, keeping a grip on her hand. Lily laughs and drops their entwined hands to walk over to her kids, hugging each of them. Rufus stays back, curious as to why Serena is here if she is angry with him.

"Dan invited us," Serena lies and walks over to Rufus. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Of course, what's up?" Lily furrows her eyebrows at her daughter and husband speaking so quietly to each other, but is more worried about leaving Alex alone with Alison for so long and wanders into the kitchen.

"Rufus, I am so sorry about our phone conversation. I assumed the worst and took it out on you…again." Serena glances down at the floor after she tells Rufus.

"Hey Serena, it's fine, I know that you were just trying to protect your mother. I know Jenny has done the same to Lily in the past." Rufus puts a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

When Lily gets into the kitchen, she spots her three-year-old lobbing questions at Alison who is doing her best to keep up with the toddler.

"Hi mommy!" Alex exclaims, waving her hand over to Lily. Lily walks over to Alex whose legs are hanging over the edge of the counter.

"Hi Alex, what are you two talking about?" Lily moves slightly so Alison can take something out of the oven.

"Mommy, Alison colwers for her job! I wanna do dat too!" Alex informs Lily, nudging her head toward her new friend.

"That's very cool," Lily tells her daughter with a smile. Alex nods as Lily picks her up, hearing Alex starting to play with her necklace. "So, how long are you staying in the city for?"

Alison closes the oven door and faces Lily, hearing some distaste in her question. Alex is bored by a conversation not involving her and drops her mom's necklace.

"Mommy, I wanna go by daddy," Alex tells Lily.

"Okay honey," Lily puts Alex on the floor, watching her daughter run over to Rufus, tugging at his shirt to get his attention. Alison and Lily smile at the sight of Rufus picking up Alex and swinging her over his head. They can hear Alex's laughter vibrate through the loft.

"Just for a few days, I told Rufus I booked a hotel room, but he insisted that I stay here…." Alison breaks off when a stunned expression chases across Lily's face. She realizes that she is telling Lily something she didn't already know. "He didn't tell you, did he?"

Lily shakes her head and leans on the counter, "No, he didn't tell me." Rufus comes into the kitchen holding Alex, and wraps his arm around Lily.

"Hey, is dinner ready yet?" Rufus asks Alison, skating his hand up and down Lily's back.

"Yeah, you guys can sit," Alison grabs the chicken and walks to the table. Rufus can hear her telling the kids that dinner is ready and to grab a plate to take to the table. Alex wiggles out of Rufus' arms to go sit down, leaving Lily and Rufus alone in the kitchen. Rufus looks over at Lily, noticing the slight frown on her lips.

"Hey, you okay?" Rufus asks, moving his hand from her back to her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. Lily manages a tiny grin, they need to talk, but it can wait until after dinner, when they have the chance to be alone.

"Yeah, I'm just a little tired; I didn't get much sleep today." Lily says, hoping that he doesn't push any further. Rufus leans forward to brush a kiss to her cheek. He knows that she has been more exhausted this pregnancy then she was with Alex.

"I know we can go home after we have dinner okay?" Rufus uses the pad of his thumb to brush over her abdomen quickly before turning around and escorting them over to the table. Luckily, the kids were smart enough to leave two open chairs next to each other, not wanting a repeat of the Thanksgiving incident with William. Alison is sitting on the other side of the table next to Jenny while Alex is sitting next to Rufus with Serena on her other side. Eric is at one end and Dan is on the other.

Dinner is silent to start off with and very awkward. Lily is trying not to get mad at Rufus for not telling her all about Alison today. Rufus is attempting to maintain the peace between his ex-wife and his wife who seems to be mad at him for something for the second time today. The kids are just keeping quiet and letting the adults talk…or not. Alex is too young to be familiar with the history between Rufus, Alison and Lily, the only thing she knows is her mom is upset. The toddler munches on her chicken and attempts to make small talk.

"So…this isn't awkward at all," Dan mumbles and makes Serena laugh.

"No, this seems like a totally normal family dinner. My mom is silently stewing about something, your dad looks guilty and your mom, who happens not to get along with my mother at all, is here. What's weird about that?" Serena says and winks at Dan. Lily reaches for her water while Alex lifts some green beans off of Rufus' plate.

"Um…anyway…congratulations, you guys must be excited about the baby," Alison says, forcing conversation. Rufus feels Lily squeeze his hand and then slam it on the top of the table. Alison jumps in her seat, astounded by the loud noise.

"Yes, we are very excited about our baby, aren't we _honey_?" Lily lets the term of endearment slip out sarcastically. Serena and Eric use their hand to conceal their laughter. Rufus tilts his head to examine his wife; she is definitely irritated with him about something. He doesn't know what it could be though, unless she wasn't telling the truth about her being fine about Alison. Or Alison could have told her something when they were in the kitchen alone together. Although, his ex-wife doesn't care that Lily is here, in fact, she expects her to be here, so what could it be?

"This is better than a TV show," Eric comments to Jenny who snickers quietly in response. Rufus swallows deeply; he doesn't really know what to say. He slides his hand out of his wife's death grip to drape it around her shoulder.

"I am uh…excited, I can't wait for our new baby," Rufus says honestly, squeezing Lily's shoulder affectionately. Lily softens and rests her head on his shoulder briefly. Alison offers a sincere smile and goes back to eating her food.

Lily is torn about her feelings toward Alison. Obviously, she doesn't want her husband's ex-wife interfering in their lives, but Alison isn't like William. With Lily's ex-husband there is always a hidden agenda. He would say he was coming to see the kids, but in actuality, he wanted to see if Lily still had feelings for him. Alison doesn't seem to have any other motives besides wanting to spend some time with Dan and Jenny. She seems genuinely happy for Lily and Rufus which is something Lily can't understand. However, on the other hand, Alison did show up unannounced and blatantly told Lily that Rufus was letting her stay at the loft. It would just have been a lot easier if Alison never came here today. Lily and Rufus would be having a nice dinner with their kids instead of sitting here in uncomfortable silence, picking at their food.

"Well, mom, what are you and Alex doing for Christmas?" Dan asks, frantically searching for a new topic of conversation, one that doesn't result in Lily staring Alison down while simultaneously glaring at Rufus.

"Who is Alex?" Lily asks, not remembering who that name represents in Alison's life. It seems to be a sore spot for her husband because she can feel Rufus tense in his seat. Rufus turns his head to look at Dan, but his son shrugs, what else are they going to talk about?

"I Alex mommy!" Alex says, giggling as if that is the funniest thing she has ever heard. Lily rolls her eyes at her daughter and reaches across Rufus to wipe some gravy off Alex's face.

"Alex is my boyfriend," Alison tells Lily. Alex nods in understanding,

"Oh, Sewena has some of dem," Alex informs Alison. Dan and Serena both choke on their drinks.

"I do not Alex," Serena protests, blushing deeply from her younger sister's comment.

Lily stays silent while Alison tells everyone about her and Alex's plans to spend Christmas with his family in some irrelevant Midwestern town. Alison's boyfriends name sounds so familiar to her, disregarding the fact that it happens to be her daughter's name. She knows she has heard that name attached to Alison's before, she just can't place it. Rufus seemed upset when Dan asked, which strikes Lily as odd. Rufus has made a point of staying out of Alison's love life, which Lily appreciates. Lily goes back to the early days of her and Rufus' rekindled relationship. She remembers that Alison cheated on Rufus with somebody... _Oh my god! _Alex is, according to Rufus, "that son-of-a-bitch who ruined my marriage". So, why does their daughter have the same name? It couldn't have been a coincidence; you don't simply forget the people who mess up your life. That is just another thing that her and Rufus need to discuss after they suffer through this never ending dinner.

"Lil? Are you feeling okay?" Rufus whispers over to her, sneaking his hand under the table to cup her kneecap. Lily nibbles on the inside of her cheek, _um; I feel betrayed, thanks for asking. _

"Uh huh, I think we should talk after dinner though." She whispers over to him and leans over to kiss his cheek. Rufus doesn't like the sound of that, Lily is upset with him about something and he wants to find out so they can fix it.

Serena glances over at Rufus and Lily whispering to each other about something. Usually, they are flirting with each other while constantly "accidentally" brushing up against each other. There is none of that tonight though; Rufus looks nervous following whatever Lily just said to him. Plus, he isn't wearing that goofy smile that is typical after their not-so-subtle hints to each other.

Serena hears her phone vibrate against the table and reaches for it, apologetically glancing up before sliding it open.

**How are things going S? Is your mom totally pissed? –B.**

** Lily hasn't retracted her claws since first spotting Alison. Can you call me with a fake emergency? I am desperate here. –S.**

Blair laughs at Serena's text and calls her best friend.

"Oh shoot, sorry, I have to take this," Serena tells everyone and pulls her chair back. "Blair? Blair? What's wrong? I can barely hear you….you want me to come now? B, I am right in the middle of dinner…okay…alright…calm down, I will be right there." Serena turns her phone off and has everyone, sans Alex, looking up at her, waiting for an explanation.

"Darling, is everything alright?" Lily asks. Serena takes her purse and jacket off the couch.

"I don't know, Blair sounds frantic, I better go." She walks over to Lily and whispers "have fun" in her ear. Lily glares at her and kisses her cheek.

"Bye Sewena, I eat your cake for you!" Alex calls out at her sister's retreating form.

"Okay Alex," Serena closes the loft door behind her, proudly smiling to herself. She couldn't stand being at the table anymore, it was almost suffocating. Lily is obviously pissed and is doing a terrible job at covering it up. Rufus is going to get an ear full as soon as Lily gets him alone; she is never one for public scenes.

Alison, along with everyone else at the table is curious as to what is off between Rufus and Lily. Dan and Jenny have told her how insufferable they are around each other, acting like lovesick teenagers. She thinks that she was the one to inadvertently piss Lily off by telling her that she was staying at the loft. She didn't mean to and feels like she should give Lily and Rufus the opportunity to talk it out.

"Is everyone done?" Rufus asks, glancing around the table. "I'll get desert." Alison looks up, this is her chance.

"Oh, shoot, Rufus, I forgot about to make anything. What if I take the kids to get ice cream instead?" He hesitates, he knows how tired Lily is and Alison already mentioned ice cream in front of Alex so it's doubtful the toddler will accept no for an answer.

"Yay! Ice cweam! Can I pwease have some ice cweam mommy and daddy? It's my favwite," Alex pleads, her eyes shimmering at the possibility of having her favorite treat. Rufus puts his hand over Lily's, telling her that it's her choice.

"Sure sweetie, just don't have too much." Lily tells Alex, picking her up and pressing a kiss on her cheek.

"You come too mommy and daddy," Alex tugs on Lily's hand, a pout working into the crevices of her cherub face. Lily fixes Alex's barrette,

"No, daddy and I are going to stay behind to clean up. You have fun and listen to Alison okay?" Alex hops off her chair and follows Dan, Jenny and Alison to pick up their coats.

"Alright, we are heading out, we will be back soon," Dan waves nervously to his dad and Lily.

"Bye guys," Rufus waves and gives Alison some money for Alex's ice cream which she accepts. Lily says goodbye and starts putting dishes into the sink.

"Lily, we should talk," Rufus snags her hand, leading her over to the couch. Lily wordlessly lags behind him, sitting next to him on the couch.

"You lied to me," She simply states and uses her finger to flip her hair back over her shoulder, waiting for an explanation from him. Rufus' eyebrows spurt together,

"Is this about Alison? I already told you that I didn't know she was coming." Lily shakes her head,

"No, but Alison did tell me that even though she is staying at a hotel, you told her that she could stay here." Rufus shrugs, obviously not seeing the issue that she sees.

"So? I thought I was being nice." Lily scrapes her bottom lip under her teeth; her husband clearly doesn't comprehend why she is upset.

"You only told me that she was here; she was the one who said that you invited her to stay here. You didn't even think to ask me if I was okay with it? I am your wife Rufus." Rufus taps his fingers on his thigh, Lily wouldn't get upset about this, there has to be something larger at play here, something that she is hiding by creating a smaller problem because she doesn't want to admit to a deeper issue.

"Okay, maybe I failed to mention it, but I did not lie to you Lil."

"Well you weren't exactly upfront about it either! I mean, what's next? Inviting her over to the penthouse for Thanksgiving? Asking her to move to Brooklyn?" _Ah, there it is, _Rufus thinks to himself. Lily just unknowingly gave herself away. This isn't about Alison staying at the loft at all, it's about Lily. This is how she explains to him that she feels threatened that his ex-wife is in town. She can't come right out and say it because she is too stubborn. Lily is insecure for some reason, but Rufus isn't exactly sure why. He has to take a risk of her becoming more upset to find out what her problem is.

"Lil, honey, you can talk to me, you know that," Rufus rubs his hand against her leg, trying to melt away her anger. Lily quirks an eyebrow, she wasn't expecting Rufus to all of the sudden switch tactics on her. Her walls are rising, she feels embarrassed and frustrated about this whole Alison situation and she would rather not share it with her husband. She moves her leg so his hand falls off of it, she can't have him being the only person who can truly see her for who she is right now. She wants to be mad at him for something that he really didn't do so she can use it as her excuse for not being honest with him.

"I don't want to discuss this with you." Lily gets up and goes into Dan's room, reaching for her coat and purse. Rufus rises to his feet, shoves his hands in his pockets and waits for her to return. He has a theory, but it will mean Lily walking out the door for sure. He feels like he should try it though because she is leaving either way. Lily slips her coat on and tosses her purse up to her shoulder.

"Why are you running away?" He asks, advancing towards his wife, wondering why she is acting this way. Lily clears her throat in attempt to maintain her composure. She wants to open up to him, explain how she is feeling, but she can't. A part of her doesn't think that he will understand although she thinks that he does because he's Rufus, the love of her life. She looks up at him, realization washing over his face. "Wait a second, do you think that I am choosing Alison over you?" Lily's eyes fill with tears and she opens the door to the loft.

"You made that choice clear the second you decided to keep things from me. I am going to pick up Alex and head home; I think that you should stay here tonight." Lily mutters and starts walking out the door, but Rufus loops his hand around her wrist.

"Hey" He mumbles, watching her jerk her arm out of his grip.

"What?" Lily snaps. All she wants to do is leave and Rufus is making that extremely difficult.

"I love you."

"I know." Lily says to him and heads out of the loft, leaving her husband behind.

Rufus lets her go; they weren't having the conversation that they were supposed to have. He shouldn't have to pull teeth to get his wife to talk to him. He respects that Lily wants some space, but she doesn't need to completely shut him out to get it. The only thing she had to do was tell him what her issue was and they could fix it, but she didn't. She would rather not let him break through the hardened societal walls she has spent years and countless marriages building. He can't help her if she doesn't want it. A part of Rufus knows that Lily will eventually succumb to her vulnerabilities and call him, asking him to come back so they can talk. He loves her enough to come running when she does reach out to him. Until then though, he is going to stay at the loft like she requested.

**A/N 2: Alrighty I know this wasn't exactly the most lovey-dovey chapter I have ever written, but I did this for a purpose. Next chapter, I promise I this will be fixed right away so Rufus and Lily can have an extremely fun Thanksgiving and find out the gender of their child **_**together**_**. Reviews always help and thanks for taking the time to read! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Let me start out with my usual feelings of gratitude, thank you guys! This chapter is hopefully a little more silly and fun than the last one, but with still some drama mixed in. If ever there was a time to put an M rating on a chapter, this would be the time. Enjoy!**

**Chapter Five**

Lily walks down the stairs to stand in front of the apartment building. She hails a taxi to the ice cream place so she can pick up Alex before heading back to the penthouse, sans Rufus. The more she reflects on their discussion at the loft, the more Lily feels bad about it. She shouldn't have shut Rufus out like that, but she can't help it. Lily never wants to seem weak in front of anyone, even her own husband. For that, Lily blames her mother; CeCe raised her to never be vulnerable in front of men because they will take advantage. Lily looks at the buildings zooming past her outside and quickly wipes a tear that is trying to tumble down her cheek. She needs to get over this flaw of hers so she and Rufus can move forward. Now is not the time to be having doubts about their relationship, they have made too much progress.

"Miss?" The taxi driver asks and turns to face Lily. Lily does a cautionary eye rub to wipe away any tears or smeared makeup and hands her fare to the driver. She mumbles a thank you and climbs out of the taxi, strolling into the ice cream shop, locating Alison, Dan, Jenny and Alex in the back corner.

"Mommy! You want some of my ice cweam?" Alex asks, running towards Lily with a bowl and spoon in her hand. Lily scoops Alex up,

"No thank you sweetie." Alex does a mini sigh of relief.

"Good, I was tryin to be nice. I done tho." Lily manages a tiny chuckle and presses a kiss to her daughter's cheek.

"We have to go home, so say goodbye to everyone." Alex frowns and hops out of her mom's arms, walking back towards her siblings and Alison.

"Bye Dan, Jenny and Alison, mommy say I haf to go home now." Dan, Jenny and Alison stop their conversation and give goodbye hugs to the toddler. Lily stands back to wave, not really in the mood to stay to chat. Alex takes her tiny hand into her mother's and they walk out to catch a cab.

"Was it just me or did Lily look really upset?" Dan asks his mom and sister.

"Yeah, I wonder what could've happened between dad and Lily while we were gone," Jenny says in agreement. Alison shrugs,

"Kids, it's none of our business. I am sure your dad and Lily can work it out. Come on, let's go back to the loft, maybe Rufus will want to watch a movie or something." Alison tells her kids and grabs her purse. Dan and Jenny shrug at each other and follow their mom out of the shop.

"Mommy, is daddy at home?" Alex asks, wondering why she hasn't noticed her dad missing before. Lily turns to face her daughter, combing a stray blonde ringlet away from her face.

"No honey, daddy is staying with Jenny, Dan and Alison at the loft tonight." Alex's eyebrow crinkles with worry, she doesn't like this arrangement.

"Why?" _because of me, _Lily thinks to herself, but of course, she can't tell her three-year-old that.

"He wanted to spend some time with Alison while she is here." Alex crosses her arms defiantly,

"Mommy, I want daddy wif us." Lily looks down at Alex; her daughter's green eyes are filling with tears. Lily feels awful, she is a coward. None of this would have happened if Lily would've stopped hiding and was just honest with Rufus. She has hurt both her husband and their daughter because of her stubbornness. Lily has to make this right, if not for her, then for Alex.

"I know you do sweetie, but you and I can have fun together tonight okay? Daddy will be back in the morning, I promise."

"K, but I sweep in your bed mommy, just to be safe." Lily smiles, Alex obviously inherited her negotiation skills from her.

"Sure," Lily says and uses her thumb to flick away Alex's tears. Alex claps her hands; she no longer cares about her dad being gone for the night. The toddler just wants to sleep in her parent's big bed.

Dan, Alison, and Jenny swing open the door to the loft to find Rufus tending to a bottle of scotch. Alison knows from experience that Rufus only reaches for the scotch when he is deeply upset.

"Did Lily come to pick up Alex?" Rufus asks, grabbing the bottle to refill his tumbler after. Jenny and Dan sit on the couch next to him while Alison snatches the bottle out of Rufus' hands, taking a swig for herself.

"Yeah, Rufus what happened?" Rufus sets his glass on the coffee table and leans back into the couch cushions, rubbing his face with his hands.

"Alison…" He groans, indicating that he doesn't want to talk about it in front of Dan and Jenny.

"Come on Jen; let's go see if Vanessa is free," Dan taps Jenny on the shoulder, signaling to his sister that they should let their parents talk. Jenny gets off the couch and waves to her parents over her shoulder. Alison turns to Rufus as soon as the door to the loft slams shut.

"Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to guess?" Alison asks, crossing her arms over her chest. Rufus rolls his eyes; he married two very stubborn women.

"To be completely honest, I really don't know what happened. We just had a fight." Alison's face is marred with guilt; she is the one who caused it.

"I am guessing she was mad because I told her that you invited me to stay here." Rufus looks up at her, noticing the deep remorse etched into her features. He puts a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Al, you didn't do anything wrong, I should have told Lily to begin with. However, it wasn't really about that."

"What was it about then?" Rufus beats his fingers on the coffee table; he is toeing the line here. It truly isn't any of his ex-wife's business, but she might be able to help. He has to pick and choose which details he is willing to share, he doesn't want to betray Lily's confidence.

"My best guess would be that Lily feels that I have been keeping things from her, which in a way I have, but I really didn't mean to." Alison hits him on the arm, "Ow, Al! What the hell was that for?"

"Because Rufus, you can be an absolute moron sometimes! Why aren't you running after her and apologizing?"

"Why do you seem to care? I thought you didn't like Lily." Rufus' question catches Alison off guard, he can tell by the way she opens her mouth and then closes it, swallowing the response she had prepared before he threw her for a loop.

"Well, obviously Lily isn't my most favorite person in the world, but I don't blame her anymore for our marriage falling apart. I know how much you love her and you should try to fix it, if you can." Rufus exchanges smiles with Alison and puts his hands over hers briefly, retracting it quickly.

"Thanks Al, but it's best to let Lily stew for awhile. I will let her plot my murder first and then maybe give her a call." Alison snickers and drinks out of Rufus' bottle of scotch.

"I have taught you well. Do you want another drink?"

"Yes please," Rufus flicks his glass over to her, watching the amber liquid spurt into the tumbler. Both Rufus and Alison glance up when they see Dan, Jenny and Vanessa stroll into the loft.

"Alison, nice to see you," Vanessa says and goes over to hug Dan's mother, having not seen her in a long time. Although she is confused as to why Alison is here and Lily isn't, but it's not her business to ask.

"You too, come, sit. Rufus, do you want to watch a movie?" Alison asks her ex-husband, hoping that it will take his mind of things for a while.

"Sure, you guys pick, I really don't care as long as it's in English." Rufus is indifferent, it's not like he is going to focus on the movie anyway. He is contemplating calling Lily, she might not answer, but at least he can say that he tried.

"Alright, we will be right back," Dan huffs, dragging his sister and Vanessa into his room to choose from his massive DVD collection.

Lily manages to get Alex changed into pajamas and tucked into bed without any reluctance from the toddler. Alex is laying comfortably on Rufus' side, her petite frame taking up only a fraction of the space.

"Mommy, can we watch a movie pwease?" Alex pleads while she plays with her monkey. Lily's eyes flicker down to her daughter's, it's already past the three-year-olds bedtime, but it will help Alex fall asleep faster instead of fighting with her.

"Yeah, go pick out a movie from daddy's office," Alex scrambles out of bed and Lily can hear a muffled grunt stemming from Rufus' office. She is guessing that Alex can't reach the movie she wants, but is determined to anyway. A few movies crash to the floor in the effort, but Alex manages to scamper in with the acquired DVD in hand.

"I got da movie, but a few of dem fall. I too small mommy," Alex pouts as she hands Lily the DVD. Lily slinks out of bed to put the movie into the DVD player and then rejoins Alex in bed. They watch the previews flicker across the screen while Alex scoots closer to Lily. "Mommy?"

"Yes baby?" Lily swings her arm around Alex's tiny shoulders.

"I pfink we should get some of dat popcorn, you know, for da movie?" Alex asks with hope, giving her mom a toothy smile.

"No honey, you already had some ice cream. You need to get some sleep." Alex pouts momentarily, but she realizes that her mom will make her go back to her own bed if she persists.

About halfway through, Lily can hear light snores coming from Alex. She shuts off the movie and entangles herself from her daughter, being careful not to wake her up. Lily pads downstairs and digs through the fridge, pouring herself a glass of apple juice before returning the jug. All of the sudden, a sob escapes Lily's throat. She sets the glass down on the counter and tries in vain to compose herself. Lily is never the one to break down, she hardly ever cries, but she feels so guilty for what she did to Rufus. Hopefully, he will still take her call. She walks over to the phone and clears her throat loudly while dialing her husband's cell.

Rufus senses his cell vibrate in his pant pocket. He arches his body up so he can slip the phone out of his jeans. A sour smile stretches across his face when he sees that it is his wife calling.

"You should get that," Alison whispers over to him, her eyes still focused on the movie. Rufus maneuvers his way off the couch and slides his phone open.

"Hey Lil," Rufus mumbles into the phone, closing the door to his room behind him so he doesn't disrupt the movie. All he hears from the other end is a loud sniff and some crinkling. "Lily, are you there?"

"…Uh yeah, I'm here. Can you come home? I think we…I…should talk." Rufus can tell by the tone in her voice that Lily is crying and he softens.

"Of course honey, I will be there soon." Lily hangs up the phone and takes a few shaky breaths; she needs to get herself under control in case Alex wakes up. She doesn't want her daughter to see her like this.

Rufus goes back into the living room and grabs his coat hanging over the edge of the couch. Dan moves to grab the remote, pressing pause on the remote, and wondering why his dad is rushing out of the loft.

"Dad, everything okay?" Dan inquires. Rufus nods, smiling at his kids, Vanessa and Alison.

"Yeah…Lily wants me to come home," Rufus declares and pats his pockets to make sure he has his wallet.

"Have fun," Alison mutters and winks at her ex-husband, happy to see that he correctly predicted his wife calling him. Rufus gives a final wave and closes the door behind him. He hopes Lily is sincere about wanting to talk because he doesn't want to hurry over to the penthouse for nothing. Rufus thinks she is serious based on her crying phone call. Lily usually doesn't jerk him around unless there is a good reason.

Within twenty minutes, the elevator doors ding open and Rufus steps off, searching for his wife. Lily is sitting on the couch and walks over to him with her arms outstretched. They hug and Lily buries her head in his chest, not wanting him to see her cry.

"I'm sorry," She mumbles, feeling Rufus' arms wrap firmly around her. Rufus is surprised that she is the one who is crying and admitting her mistakes, it isn't like her.

"I'm sorry too Lil, I didn't mean to go behind your back." Lily pulls away from him, pausing for a second to wipe away traces of her tears away from her eyes.

"No, that's not it, come on." She grabs his hand and leads him over to the couch. Rufus sits down first and loops his arms around her waist, bringing her down with him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He whispers and presses his nose into her shoulder, letting the fluffy robe his wife is wearing rub against his skin.

"Honestly, no, but I think I should…" Lily trails off; she is having a difficult time articulating her insecurities which is why they are in this mess in the first place. Rufus is kind enough to let them stew in silence for a few moments, not wanting to pressure her into talking although that is what she called him here for. She will open up, but him lobbing question after question at her won't help. "It wasn't that Alison is here and staying at the loft, I mean it is, but not entirely. I just…was annoyed because I felt like by not telling me, you were choosing her over me and you have before so…Plus, I know I am not exactly attractive right now…" Lily sighs and turns to him, letting him process what she said.

"What do you mean you aren't attractive right now? Lily, you're beautiful," Rufus caresses her cheek with his thumb. Lily scoffs, her gaze floating down to her expanded stomach hiding beneath her robe.

"You're just saying that because you are my husband," she says, resting her head on his shoulder.

"No, I'm not and you are right, I have chosen Alison before, but we were in a completely different place then. I loved her once, but I love you more now. We're Rufus and Lily, we are awesome." Lily giggles at her husband's declaration.

"We are pretty cool," Lily says in agreement, tilting her head up to brush a kiss to Rufus' lips. Rufus moves to move her robe over her shoulders, causing Lily to laugh.

"What is so funny?" Rufus asks, tracing his finger from her jaw line to her collarbone, placing a gentle kiss there.

"You can't go five minutes without trying to undress me." Rufus feigns a hurt expression,

"Excuse me, but I think it's the other way around. We both know who the initiator in our relationship is." Lily quirks a defiant eyebrow at him, obviously she thinks Rufus is wrong.

"Pft, Rufus, don't be ridiculous."

"Lily," Rufus says, shooting her his trademark look.

"Rufus," Lily's eyes flicker up to him, matching his glare.

"Let's just say for a _second _that you are right. If I stopped, than you would be begging for it in a matter of days." Lily scoffs, a smirk playing on her mouth.

"Really, Rufus?"

"Oh yeah, I know I am right."

"Do you want to place a bet on that?" Lily asks sarcastically, not expecting Rufus to take her up on her offer.

"Sure, what did you have in mind?" She is both alarmed and intrigued by his question. This is out-of-character for them; they don't normally do things like this.

"Uh…I don't know I am not sure how one goes about this new bet of ours. How about…whoever makes the first move on the other person loses." Rufus is shocked that Lily is actually interested in doing this, it could be fun for them, a way to move on from their fight.

"So move, means what? How do we decide who loses?" Rufus splashes his hand under her robe, over the swell of her abdomen. Lily dips her head into the curve of his neck, using her hand to swat his away.

"We can't um…_sexually _touch each other," Lily senses a fierce blush rise in her cheeks; maybe this isn't a good idea if they can barely outline the perimeters of their bet.

"What about this, whoever is the first to instigate sex between us loses? We both have known each other long enough to be able to decide."

"Okay, how long does the bet last?"

"Thanksgiving morning by then if nobody wins then we declare a tie and the bet is over."

"Interesting, what does the winner get?" Lily tilts her head to look up at him, watching him ponder her question. She can't come up with something good enough worth not having sex for almost four days. Rufus bites his lip, his eyebrows V'd in thought. What is interesting enough to bet over?

"Oh! I got it, but you aren't going to like it," Rufus starts, watching his wife turn to face him.

"What?" She crosses her arms, waiting for his answer.

"I was thinking that whoever loses has complete control over the other person at Thanksgiving. They get to pick what the person wears and how the person acts throughout the whole dinner at the Waldorfs." Rufus is well aware of his spouse's need to be in control, it would be interesting to see how she reacts when he calls all the shots. Lily runs her tongue along her teeth; Rufus did pick a prize tailored to her.

"Okay, I will agree to that, but it can't be anything inappropriate. I am not wearing a bikini and making out with you in front of our children and guests just because I lost." Rufus shakes his head,

"No, I know, Alex is obviously going to be here and I don't want her to be traumatized like the older kids." Lily holds her hand out, but retracts it before Rufus can shake. "Lil?"

"I just realized that you have an unfair advantage."

"What are you talking about?" Lily rolls her eyes and snags his hand, putting it on her stomach. "Oh, well what could we do to level the playing field?" He draws lazy circles on the plush fabric while Lily weighs her options.

"Um…you have to sleep in our bed; you can't pretend to go back to the loft on some kind of emergency." Rufus grimaces,

"That's a little excessive isn't it?"

"Nope, those are the terms baby, accept them or not."

"Rufus Humphrey fears no woman and no sex bet." They shake hands and kiss on it with Lily laughing against his lips.

"The bet starts now; let's go to bed…to sleep." Rufus groans and takes his wife's hand, letting her lead them to their bedroom where Alex is spread-eagled in both of their sides. "I forgot Alex was in here, can you take her back to her room?"

"Or she could just stay in here, be a nice divider for us," Rufus proposes, shrugging his shoulders at his wife.

"Fine, just for tonight though."

"Good luck Lil, you are going to need it." They slide in bed on opposite sides, nudging Alex slightly so they can have some room.

"Oh please Rufus, it will be like taking candy from a baby." Rufus laughs at his wife's smug attitude, it isn't going to last very long. They have four days until Thanksgiving and Rufus is determined to win this bet.

_Day One:_

In order to win, Rufus needs to break down his wife's resolve. They both realize that the other isn't going to do something drastic in the first day, that wouldn't be entertaining or effective. Lily and Rufus are the two most stubborn people on the planet, but given time one of them will succumb to the other eventually.

His eyes flutter open; meeting his daughter's mirrored green ones. Alex is biting her lip in anticipation.

"Hey daddy!" Alex exclaims, accidentally waking up her mother. Lily rolls over to face her over-excited daughter and still-tired husband. "Mommy, daddy is here!"

A hazy smile washes over Lily's face; she rolls on her side to face her family. Alex sits on her knees, a mega-watt grin illuminating her face.

"I told you daddy would be here in the morning sweetie." Rufus quirks an eyebrow, he is fully awake now.

"You told her?" Rufus tips his head up to look at his now blushing wife.

"Hmm! Mommy say you be here, but I pfink you won't be here, but you here! So yay!" Alex summarizes, clapping her hands to show how ecstatic she is. The toddler was worried last night because of how upset her mom was, but her dad is sleeping next to them so everything is better now. "I wait for waffles; see ya in da kitchen daddy!" She bolts out of bed, leaving Rufus and Lily to themselves.

"Good morning," Lily says, leaning forward, hovering close to his lips. Rufus backs away, which has his wife upset. "What, no kiss? We are allowed to kiss you know."

"I realize that, but we are in bed…alone." Lily huffs and pecks his lips quickly before she slides out of bed. Rufus shakes his head and walks downstairs where his daughter already has the ingredients she can reach for waffles laid out on the floor.

Rufus drops Alex off at preschool and takes a taxi over to the gallery to get some work done. He will have to put his plan to woo his wife on hold for the time being, although he doesn't really want to.

Lily stays back at the penthouse, needing to do some administrative things for Bass. She can't focus though, her mind drifts over to her bet with Rufus. Just like her husband, Lily wants to start slow, wanting to wear him down over time. She needs to get her paperwork done before she has to pick up Alex so she puts aside her sex bet with Rufus for the time being. An idea will come to her…sooner or later.

After work, Rufus stops by the floral shop to pick up some flowers for Lily. It isn't much, but enough to get the ball rolling for now.

"Hey Lil? Al?" Rufus yells when he gets off the elevator. He can hear Lily instructing Alex to put the bowl on the table _carefully_. Lily's heels click towards him, greeting him with a soft kiss.

"Hey, I made us dinner, but don't worry its take-out." She smiles at him, noticing one arm hidden behind his back.

"How romantic, now here," Rufus quips and waves some Casablanca lilies in front of her. Lily gasps, taking the flowers from him.

"Flowers, Rufus? You bought me flowers?"

"What? I can't bring my wife flowers just because?" Lily sets the flowers down on the counter and sneers at him.

"You can, but you aren't. Admit it; you are bringing me flowers because of our bet." Rufus brushes past her to check on their daughter who is being eerily quiet.

"So this dinner is you trying to be all _house-wifey_?" Lily gives him a doe-eyed expression as she sits on the opposite side of the table instead of next to him like always.

"I was taking care of dinner because I didn't want this family to starve. You made a move, I made a move, now, let's eat." Rufus' eyes become tiny slits, taking a second to size his wife up while she gives Alex some noodles.

"Mommy, daddy why do you not sit by each other? Does daddy smell or somefing?" Alex asks, her head bobbing from mother to father. How do they explain a sex bet to their three-year-old? Answer: they don't. They need to come up with a reasonable explanation to satisfy their curious child.

"Uh…I wanted to sit by you for a change, Alex. And mommy takes my food," Rufus sticks his tongue out at Lily, providing a credible narrative for their daughter. Alex giggles and reaches over to Rufus' plate, pilfering a piece of shrimp from him.

"I take your food now daddy! Hehe," Lily beams at the interaction between her husband and daughter while sipping on her soda.

Following dinner, Rufus and Lily watch a movie with Alex before putting her to bed. When Rufus strolls into the master bedroom twenty minutes later, Lily is in pajamas and reading.

"You are reading?" Rufus asks in surprise.

"Well since we can't do what we want to do, I might as well read. What is the appropriate thing to do here? Should I be knitting?" Rufus laughs and climbs into bed next to her, brushing a kiss to her cheek.

"No, do you even know how to knit?" Lily laughs and shakes her head,

"Of course not, thanks for coming up with that story to tell Alex. I was afraid we would have to share the details of our little bet with her."

"No problem, did you like my flowers?"

"I did, did you like dinner?"

"Yeah, it tasted exactly like the Chinese food we get from that place down the street." Rufus flashes a knowing smile at his wife and cups her cheek, giving her a goodnight kiss.

"Love you," Lily mumbles, scowling as she slides away from him in bed instead of towards him.

"Love you too Lil," Rufus mutters back, missing the way she cuddles up to him after they have sex. Listening to her tuckered out voice whisper 'I love you' before drifting off to sleep, her arm slung across him, her head resting on his upper chest. Today was just stage one, they still have three more days until their bet expires.

_Day Two:_

Yesterday was only a tiny battle in Rufus and Lily's war. That was the day to put feelers out on the enemy, to find any spots of weakness and use them to their advantage. Since flowers obviously didn't do the trick, which Rufus knew going in they wouldn't, it's time to move on. Stage two, otherwise known as puppies and babies in Rufus' three-day-plan. Obviously they don't have a puppy and Lily has shot down any notion of getting an animal especially since she is pregnant, Rufus will have to go with the latter. Alex isn't necessarily a baby, but she is young enough to be able to use to his advantage.

It's two o'clock in the afternoon and Rufus is bored. Luckily, there is nobody in the gallery and all the paperwork is done for the day so he can just go home. Hopefully, Lily is there with Alex so he can whisk his daughter away in order to give his wife the afternoon to herself. He takes a taxi back to the penthouse, disappointed to see his daughter coloring with Kim, Alex's nanny.

"Hi daddy, like my picture?" Alex holds up a coloring page of a lion with scribbles on it.

"I do very much sweetie, where's mommy?" Rufus sits on the couch, handing over a twenty to Kim who is ready to leave.

"She went to help Chuck! I didn't get to go," Alex says, her shoulders slumping a little. Rufus scoops his daughter off the floor, setting her on his lap.

"Oh well, let's go do something fun." His daughter's eyes widen to the size of hubcaps.

"Okay, I wanna go to the zoo! I need to see dem nanimals daddy," Alex says with conviction. Rufus thought his daughter would pick shopping, but he forgets how much she loves animals.

"Sure baby, we can go see some animals." Rufus and Alex put their jackets and head out, taking a taxi to the zoo.

At 5 pm, Lily and Chuck see Alex run into Chuck's office, wearing a Central Park Zoo t-shirt and carrying a newly acquired stuffed animal. Rufus is trailing behind her sipping on a large soda.

"Mommy! Chuck! Hello!" Alex toddles over to her mother, kissing her on the cheek before jumping into Chuck's lap, showing him the polar bear her father bought her. Rufus advances towards his wife, pressing a kiss on her lips.

"Hi darling, what are you and Alex doing here?" Lily asks as Rufus sits down in the leather armchair next to hers.

"We went to the zoo! Daddy got me dis bear!" Alex scampers over to her father, holding her arms up. He picks her up and winks at Lily. Chuck leans back in his chair, intrigued by Rufus and Lily's interactions with their daughter. Rufus is smirking while Lily tips her head in confusion, trying to assess and figure out what her husband is doing.

"Tell mommy what you saw at the zoo, baby." Rufus says, coaxing his daughter who is totally unaware that she is being used as a pawn for the time being.

"Lions!" Alex answers with delight.

"And what do the lions say?"

"Rawr!"

"Right! Rawr!" Lily and Chuck glance at each other, amused by Rufus and Alex's exchange.

"And what else did you see?"

"Pigs!"

"And what do the pigs say?"

"Oink. . ."

"You're so smart, Alex," Rufus says beaming at Lily. "And tell mommy what you said when you saw the daddy bear hugging the baby bear?"

"Just like Alex and daddy!"

"Just like Alex and daddy," Rufus boasts, positively bursting with paternal pride. Lily bites her lip to trap the laughter in her mouth, fully aware of what her husband is doing and she isn't going to play along. Chuck is too busy attempting to discover this new game his mother and step-father are playing, it sounds fun. "Well, I think it's time to head home Alex. How much longer are you going to be sweetheart_?_" Lily winks at him, silently communicating that she is impressed by this little charade involving their delightfully naive daughter.

"I should be about an hour. Can you get dinner for us? I'm craving some Serafina's." Lily puts her hand over her barely-there baby bump concealed by a little black dress. She knows that if Rufus is serious, he will drive the extra twenty minutes in Manhattans gridlocked rush hour traffic to get them what she asked for. Rufus double blinks, he wasn't expecting that move from her, but he isn't backing down now.

"Sure, Alex say goodbye, we have to go get dinner for mommy." Alex bounces off her dad's lap to hug Chuck and then she makes her way over to her mother.

"Love you, see you soon," Rufus mutters to his wife, standing up and bending down to kiss her lips fully.

"Love you too," Lily says back, gliding her thumb across his cheek before turning to her daughter, engulfing Alex and her new toy in a hug. Rufus and Alex leave Chuck's office headed to Serafina's to get Lily the dinner she pretended that she wants. Lily turns to face Chuck, a self-satisfied smirk playing on her lips. Chuck furrows his brows in confusion,

"What was that all about?" Lily reaches for her reading glasses, going on the defensive.

"Nothing, Rufus wanted to stop by and visit. I thought it was very sweet." Chuck guffaws at his adoptive mother, not buying her excuse for a second.

"Lily, you know by now that Blair and I are the best at schemes, I can spot one when I see one. What's the game?" Lily tears her eyes away from the budget report she is pretending to read.

"It's a bet actually, between me and Rufus. We are trying to see who can go without sex for the longest." Chuck is impressed; he didn't think Lily would do this kind of thing.

"And that was Rufus' move I am guessing, use Alex to appeal to your maternal side. What are you going to do to retaliate?" Lily shrugs, she usually doesn't talk about her marriage to Rufus with Chuck, out of respect to her husband. Chuck and Rufus don't exactly have the best relationship, but they are trying to work on it for her.

"I don't know yet, but I will think of something." Chuck nods in understanding; Lily wants to return to business so she can go home and make her play.

"Well, for what it's worth, Blair and I did something similar because we simply like screwing with each other in every definition of the word. Anyway, suffice to say I lost when Blair brought out the ice cubes and lingerie." Lily smiles in amusement, her and Chuck never have conversations like this.

"Really? Ice cubes and lingerie huh? Very interesting…I have to go Charles, but I will see you later. Oh, and please don't mention this to the other kids, I really wasn't even supposed to tell you." Lily says, her eyes pleading as she reaches over to brush a kiss to Chuck's cheek.

"I won't breathe a word to the other members of the Brady Bunch as long as you promise to tell me who wins." Lily reaches down and grabs her jacket, sliding it over her shoulders.

"You will find out at Thanksgiving, goodbye Charles." With a wave, Lily is off to procure her items for her attempt to seduce her husband.

When Lily arrives home, she is swinging a La Perla bag back and forth while smiling impishly to herself. Rufus approaches her, carrying a dish of her favorite meal from Serafina's, showing her that he was willing to go there in hopes that she would fold. Lily isn't that easy, although she does appreciate the gesture, it tells her that her husband is willing to go out of his way to buy her the food that she is craving.

"Hmm…thank you," Lily says, dropping the bag to accept the food and sweep a chaste kiss across his lips. Rufus opens one eye, looking down at the mysterious bag on the floor.

"What's in the bag?" He asks, moving around her to hopefully peak inside. Lily is faster though and uses her foot to kick it across the living room.

"You will find out later, where's Alex?"

"Upstairs, playing with her new animal," Rufus wags his eyebrows at her, following her over to the couch.

"You took our daughter to her favorite place in the world? That's really hitting a girl where she lives," Lily comments and eats a bite of her food. Rufus smirks,

"You can thank me for it you know, I wouldn't object." She laughs,

"Of course you wouldn't. What do you say we put Alex to bed early so I can show you what I bought today?" Rufus smiles at his wife's proposition. Lily gestures her head towards upstairs.

"Oh, you want me to go?" She nods,

"I'm eating; I'll come up when I'm done." Rufus heavily sighs and gets off the couch. "Love you!" She calls upstairs at his retreating frame.

"Yeah, yeah," He mutters, hearing his wife laugh from her position at the couch. Lily finishes her dinner, grabbing her bag and walking upstairs to the bathroom located across the hall from Rufus' office.

"Hey," Lily says, leaning on the doorframe. Alex is playing with bath toys while Rufus is attempting to wash her hair.

"Mommy! I tryin to pway but daddy is messin wif me!" She crosses her tiny arms and glares at Rufus who is massaging her scalp with shampoo. Lily takes over for her husband and manages to get Alex bathed, her daughter fighting her every step of the way. Alex runs out of the bathroom, naked, into her room, where Rufus is waiting with pajamas.

"Goodnight baby, I love you," Lily says to Alex, brushing a kiss to her cheek.

"I wuv you too mommy," Alex wraps her tiny arms around Lily's neck. Lily winks at Rufus and disappears into the master bedroom to change.

After Rufus puts Alex to bed, he goes into their bedroom, stopping in the doorway when he sees Lily, lying on their bed, wearing a black, silk, see-thru negligee. Lily's face flushes,

"You don't like it do you? I knew I shouldn't have worn this while I was pregnant, I can change into something else…"

"Lily," He breaks her rambling speech to look up at him.

"What?" Rufus walks towards her, wishing that he could reach out to touch her. However, that would be breaking the no touching clause of their bet and he really doesn't want to lose.

"I love it." Lily grins at him, getting off the bed so they are mere inches from each other. She devilishly smirks at him, turning and bending down so her ass is just a few feet from his face. Rufus' eyes nearly pops out of his skull, it takes everything in him not to skim his fingers over her skin. He retracts his fingers and shoves them in his pockets. "I'm going to take a shower." Rufus moves past her and closes the bathroom door behind him.

"Damn it," Lily says and goes into the walk in closet to change into something more comfortable.

_Day Three_

It's been four days. Four days since she and Rufus have had sex. Lily is one cranky, hormonal, sexually frustrated woman. She knows that it will take Rufus doing just one romantic, over-the-top thing for her to crack. However, Lily is bound and determined not to make that happen. Luckily, Alex is out with Dan, Jenny and Alison and Rufus should be home any minute now from the gallery so Lily has time to put her final plan into action.

The elevator door ding open and Rufus pops his head out to look for Lily before he takes his present to her out of the elevator. He stashes his gift in Serena's room and pretends to steal a soda out of the fridge as she comes downstairs.

"Hey," Rufus mumbles, stealing a quick kiss from her and eying her attire. His wife is wearing a navy v-neck paired with black pajamas bottoms.

"Hey, you're home late, did you sell something?" She asks, maneuvering around him to reach for some ice cream.

"No, but I do have a present for you." Lily's eyes widen, she needs to speed up her move before Rufus makes his.

"You do, where is it?" She asks, gazing around the penthouse.

"I have to give it to you after Alex goes to bed, it's not very toddler appropriate."

"Oh," She nods in understanding and reaches into the freezer, pulling out an ice cube. Rufus tilts his head, watching his wife gather her hair in her hands.

"You wouldn't," He mutters, clearing his throat loudly. Lily traces the ice cube down the side of her neck, suppressing the grin threatening to form on her lips. Rufus is anxiously bouncing on his feet and Lily lets out a moan.

"Ooooh, that feels soooo much better," She moves the ice cube from her neck downward, inching toward her cleavage.

_Stay strong Rufus! She is just messing with your head. You can do this, you have an iron will. No matter what she does or where that ice cube ends up, you need to hold out just a little longer._

Rufus is spared by the sound of Alex's infantile laughter ringing out through the penthouse. Lily frantically tosses the ice cube in the sink with a frustrated sigh. As much as she loves their daughter, Alex has the worst timing in the world.

"Mommy and daddy, we went ice skating and I falled but I okay." Alex informs her parents, pointing to the nonexistent mark on her hand.Dan, Jenny and Alison wave from the living room. Rufus picks Alex up and sticks his tongue out at his wife. Lily pauses to make sure Alex is looking the other way before she uncharacteristically flips her husband off. Alison sees Lily's gesture and laughs, wondering what exactly she and the kids interrupted.

"I just wanted to say goodbye before I left. Thanks for letting me stay at the loft," Alison gives Rufus a one-armed hug as Lily approaches them, wrapping her arm around her husband's waist.

"Bye Alison, you nice," Alex informs her father's ex-wife and insists on being put down so she can hug Alison's legs.

"Thank you Alex, you are very nice too." Alison bends down and kisses the three-year-olds cheek. Despite she and Alison's complicated past, Lily isn't bitter towards her anymore. What happened between them is the past and they are both happier now. Lily holds out her hand for Alison to shake, hoping that they can at least be civil to each other now. Alison accepts it graciously; ignoring Rufus, Dan and Jenny's shocked expressions.

"Good luck and congratulations guys." Alison tells Rufus and Lily sincerely.

"Thank you Al, we appreciate it," Rufus speaks for the both of them, squeezing Lily's shoulder tenderly. Lily nods in affirmation and manages a tiny smile.

"Dad, Lily, we will see you guys tomorrow then?" Dan asks while Jenny talks to Alex.

"Yeah, don't forget the marshmallows," Rufus waves at his kids, seeing them leave with Alison. Alex toddles over to her parents, holding her arms up for Lily.

"Come on sweetie, let's get you to bed," Lily tells Alex who shakes her head.

"Nah, I good," Alex tells her mother, seriously thinking that her response would work. Lily rolls her eyes and hands Alex over to Rufus so she can hug and kiss her father goodnight. Alex is set on the floor and she runs upstairs to her bedroom to change.

"I'll be right back," Lily tells him, leaving Rufus to dig his gift to her out of Serena's room.

After dropping Alex off at the penthouse, Dan, Jenny and Alison take a cab to the train station.

"So, mom, you and Lily seem to be getting along," Dan mentions, breaking his staring contest with the window to face his mother. Alison shrugs,

"Don't get any crazy ideas. Lily and I will never be friends; too much has happened between her, me and your father. Although, I realized that hating her isn't really going to work if I want to see you kids."

"So you would rather have peace then launch World War 3?" Jenny asks.

"Exactly," Alison nods, "Your father loves Lily very much and they are happy. I am happy with Alex and having you kids. I think your father and I can agree that we never want you kids having to choose between us, that wouldn't be fair. It works out better this way."

Lily settles Alex into bed by reading her daughter her favorite story. When she comes downstairs, Rufus is waiting with a tall, rectangular package.

"Hey, I have a present for you," Rufus flashes an adorable boyish grin at her while sliding the gift towards her.

"Okay," Lily tears off the wrapping and gasps. She is staring at the Mapplethorpe painting of her. "Rufus…how did you get this?" Lily is touched; she didn't think her husband even knew about the painting let alone track it down for her. Bart wouldn't let her see it, insisting that it was safer that way.

"Well, Serena mentioned something to Dan about her mother being a model for a painting. So after Bart died, I had Bex find this for you. I know we can't hang it up because of Alex, but I thought you should have this and decide what you wanted to do with it." Lily bites her lip, a huge smile blossoming on her face.

"Come here," She whispers, hugging him fiercely. They both realize that she might have forfeited. "I just lost, didn't I?" Rufus shrugs in her arms,

"Technically, this isn't defined as sexual touching, but if you want to surrender, that's fine with me." He whispers in her ear, pulling away and standing up. Lily gets to her feet as well, her eyes mischievously twinkling. She uses her free hand that isn't holding onto the painting to grab his crotch, eliciting a groan from him.

"I have to hide this, meet me upstairs," She kisses his cheek and takes her painting into Serena's room, shoving it in her daughter's closet. Rufus scratches his head, his eyebrows furrowed. He shrugs his shoulders and walks upstairs, sneaking into Alex's room to quickly check on her before waiting for Lily in their bedroom. She comes in two minutes later, spotting her husband over by their mirror. Her arms loop around him already peeling his plaid navy shirt off of him, throwing it towards the back of the closet. He leans into the kiss, tasting the desperation ebbing from her lips from their four day fast. Lily drapes her arms around his shoulders, blindly walking them towards their bed as they lob kisses back and forth. Rufus lowers them onto the bed, sweeping some of her hair away from her face.

"Wait, slow down," Lily flips them over again, focusing on the task of getting Rufus undressed while he buries himself in the curve of her neck, smothering it with kisses.

"Never," Rufus mumbles, laughing against her skin.

"Hold on," Lily loops her fingers around his belt loops, yanking his pants and boxers down to his ankles. Rufus kicks them off and twists so Lily is on top of him once more. He unclasps her bra, his hands going to the front of her to gently caress her breasts.

"Ohhh Rufus," Lily captures his lips, moaning into his mouth. She lifts her ass up slightly so he can inch her crimson panties off of her, tossing it with their other articles of clothing. He skims his finger over her peaked nipple, marveling in the surprised grin sweeping across Lily's mouth. He wraps his arm around her back, bringing her down to his lips, being sure to skate his tongue across her teeth. Her arms wrap around his neck, hearing a soft moan when Rufus enters inside of her with one smooth stroke.

"Jesus…Lil," tumbles out of Rufus mouth as their lips part causing Lily to roll her hips so her mouth heads towards her husband's collar bone.

"Damn Rufus," Lily whispers into his soft flesh, sensing his hand diverting from her back down her ribs to her hip, below her expanded abdomen. Lily pops her head up, locking eyes with her husband. He smiles and rakes his fingers through her hair, gently forcing her to interlock their lips.

As if reading her mind, Rufus angles his hips in a different direction, pumping in and out of her, trying to find their natural rhythm. Lily counters his movements by flexing the muscles deep inside her pelvis, watching with delight as Rufus takes in a sharp breath.

"Baby," he mutters the term of endearment in a rugged voice, keeping his gaze fixed on his wife while powerfully thrusting into her. The toned biceps in his arms flex as rolls his hips towards her once more with her pushing up her pelvis to meet him. The palms of his hands staying planted firmly on the mattress below them as he lifts himself up a bit more from her body and entered a little deeper inside of her, causing Lily to grip onto his shoulders tightly while arching her back into him.

"Right there," She whispers up to him, tempting him with soft kisses to his jaw line. Rufus lowers his head and confine the moan threatening to escape in her mouth His eyes barrel down his wife's body, taking in her most prominent features.

Lily gasps and feels her legs lock at the ankles as she begins to unravel around him. She lets herself go, her only concern right now is making sure her husband accompanies her in this ecstatic state.

It doesn't take long after Lily climaxes that Rufus follows. He shudders slightly and grips onto his wife's hips harder, creating crescent moons on her hips. Lily collapses onto Rufus' upper chest, breathing deeply into his skin. Rufus is caught off guard for a second, but moves hand to caress the side of her exposed stomach.

"I don't care if I lost, that was so worth it…" Lily admits while she tries to control her breathing. Rufus helps Lily sit up so she is straddling his hips.

"You might not be saying that tomorrow," he says, winking at her. "Let me show you what you are wearing." Lily slides off him to allow Rufus to climb out of bed. He tosses her v-neck and pajama pants at her and jumps into his boxers, reaching for his robe hanging on a hook. Lily redresses as her husband vanishes in their massive closet. No matter if she loves what Rufus picked out her, she won't give her husband the satisfaction.

Rufus comes back holding an ebony garment bag, unzipping to reveal a very sexy burgundy dress. Lily gets out of bed, inching towards him and clutching the piece of clothing, easing it out of the garment bag. The alluring dress featured a low cut halter top with a built in bra, ensuring that her ample cleavage will be on display for all to see. Underneath the bust line was an accent piece made of burgundy and white crystals that gathered the material, holding it in place where her sternum will be. The gown then falls freely with just the right cut to fit her pregnant belly underneath it.

Lily quickly glances up at Rufus, but holds back her comments for now, carefully turning the dress around. An impressed smile forms on her lips as she sees the crisscross pattern of the back of the dress, the straps meeting just below her shoulder blades leaving an open space which forms a diamond shaped pattern, where beneath it more skin will be exposed before the fabric gathers once more, forming a sleek tail of fabric over top the waistline of the gown, its intent to garner attention to her ass.

"Alex helped me pick it out," Rufus says sheepishly, studying his wife's face, looking for a reaction from her.

"Well, I hope you have the receipt because that is going back," Lily demands, pulling away. Rufus wickedly simpers at her,

"Oh no, I can see the way you are looking at this dress. You want to wear it, but you aren't willing to admit it. Face it sweetheart, you lost, I won. You are going to have to give up your need to be in control for one day. Hold this," Rufus shoves the dress at her and she loses him once again in the closet. He comes back carrying a shoe box, switching with her so she can open the other part of her outfit. Lily tosses the lid and smiles, recognizing that Rufus bought her the strappy silver Jimmy Choo shoes she was admiring the other day.

"Fine, I confess that I love the outfit you picked out for me. Thank you," She stamps a kiss to his lips and severs contact with him so she can put her outfit back, leaving it for tomorrow. Rufus is already lying in bed, on his side when she returns from the closet. She slides in next to him, resuming their usual sleeping positions after four days of staying as far away from each other as possible.

"Rufus," She mutters tiredly, her eyes flickering up to his.

"Hmm…?"

"Why did you name our daughter Alex?" Rufus sighs against her, anticipating this question ever since their discussion at the loft.

"I really like the name, regardless of Alison's boyfriend. To be honest, I wasn't thinking about him, I wanted to pick out a name for our child." Lily nods in understanding, "You aren't mad are you?"

"No, not at all, I just thought I should ask about it since it was on my mind." She yawns loudly and readjusts her head on Rufus' shoulder. Rufus kisses the top her head, tightening his hold on her.

"Love you," He says with a yawn of his own. Lily laughs,

"I love you too."

The next afternoon, Rufus and Alex are waiting at the bottom of the steps for Lily. They both have their coats on; Alex is twirling her new stuffed animal while Rufus adjusts his dark crimson tie for the third time.

"Lil, we are going to miss dinner!" Rufus calls upstairs, hoping that his wife is putting the finishing touches on her outfit.

"Mommy, hurry up…pwease!" Alex yells after her father, growing impatient with her mother. Rufus goes to the closet to grab his wife's coat when he hears her heels click down the stairs.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Lily mumbles, causing Rufus to spin around at the sound of her voice.

"Woah," He spurts out, swallowing deeply. The burgundy dress she has on fits better than he ever thought it would. It fits her like a second skin, clinging to her curves in all the right places. His eyes travel to her small, rounded belly, creating the exact effect he wanted, a beacon of sorts, telling the world that she is his wife and she is pregnant with his child. Her hair is pulled back into a tight ballet bun, light eyeliner adorning her eyelids and drop down diamond earrings to complete the look.

"You like?" Lily asks, doing a twirl before allowing her husband to drape her coat over her shoulders.

"I love, now let's go," Rufus presses a kiss to his wife's temple and grabs his daughter's tiny hand.

"Mommy, you look gweat," Alex declares and rushes to push the elevator button.

"Thank you my darling, you and daddy did an amazing job picking out my dress." Lily tells her daughter and stamps a kiss to her daughter's cheek.

"Mhmm! Daddy wanted to get a gween dress but I say no. I like dis one better."

"Hey! Don't tattle on me," Rufus tells Alex, tickling her side. Alex squirms and smacks her dad in the face with her stuffed polar bear to get him to stop tickling her. "OW! Lil, yell at her."

Lily shakes her head, "Oh no, you deserved that one."

The trio step off the elevator, waving to Vanya on the way out and climb into the town car, headed to Eleanor and Cyrus'. Alex is busy looking out the window, so Lily wants to remind him of the stipulations of their bet before they get to the Waldorfs.

"Just a reminder Mr. Humphrey, the moment your hands travel anywhere they shouldn't or your big mouth says something inappropriate in front of our daughter, this little game of ours is over." Rufus wraps an arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

"And I will remind you Mrs. Humphrey that I will behave as long as you do whatever I tell you." Lily wants to slap the smug smirk off of Rufus' face; she never should have lost their bet. Although a tiny part of her is curious about what Rufus will do when he makes the decisions for them. Plus, she is unwilling to concede that there is a possibility that she might need to be in control when it comes to their relationship.

"Mommy, daddy, is Chuck gonna be der?" Alex asks, her eyes shimmering at the possibility.

"Of course honey, he told me that he can't wait to see you," Lily tells her daughter, watching a mega watt smile form on her daughter's lips.

"Yay! I show him my new toy and…and…eat turkey wif him!" Rufus laughs at how excited his daughter is to see Chuck.

"Are you going to share your desert with him?" Lily asks. Alex rolls her eyes at the notion,

"Don't be silwy mommy." Lily quietly mumbles "oh", her daughter made her feel stupid for asking that question.

The town car pulls to a stop in front of the Waldorf apartment complex. Rufus lets Alex out of her car seat while Lily thanks Isaac. They ride the elevator up to the penthouse and hand their coats to the hired help. Alex goes off to find Chuck, who is chatting with Blair, Serena, Nate, Eric, Dan and Jenny. Lily starts walking ahead of Rufus, but he snags her hand, tugging her back to him.

"Ready to have some fun, honey?" Rufus asks with a sly grin. Lily nibbles on the inside of her cheek,

"Please, remember our deal."

"I need you to put your arm around my waist and your hand in my suit pocket," He instructs her in a hurried whisper, noticing Eleanor and Cyrus walking towards them, stopping to say hi to Alex first.

"What?" Lily asks with an arched eyebrow.

"You heard me, I call the shots tonight, so put your arm around my waist, quickly." Lily purses her lips and gives him an unimpressed glare, but does as she is told while Eleanor and Cyrus come up to greet them.

"Lily, you look exquisite," Eleanor comments.

"Thank you Eleanor, Rufus picked it out for me." She cheekily grins at Rufus, knowing that Eleanor will be even more infatuated with him than she already is. Rufus squeezes a patch of skin on her hip, causing Lily to grimace a little. Cyrus and Rufus shake hands before Cyrus hugs Lily.

"Not enough!" Cyrus says and hugs Lily again. Eleanor smiles at Rufus and gives him a one-armed hug, lingering just a touch.

"Please, come in, your kids are already here. I see Alex has already latched onto Charles. Poor Blair will have to fight your daughter for his attention," Eleanor tells Rufus and Lily before walking away with Cyrus to greet some other guests just walking in.

"What was that all about?" Rufus asks his wife, walking them further into the party. Lily glances innocently at him,

"I have no idea what you are talking about. Oh, there are our kids, let's go say hi!"

"Wait a second," Rufus gently yanks her back to him again. She is having trouble with the idea that he is in charge. An adorable pout forms on Lily's face when she realizes that she isn't going to say hi to their kids just yet.

"Yes Rufus, can I help you with something?"

"Uh huh, you can kiss me."

"Rufus, there are people watching us," Lily points out. Normally, she and Rufus are constantly touching and kissing each other, but that is within the confines of their own home, in front of their family, not in someone else's place surrounded by people she doesn't know. Rufus gives her his Lily look, irritated with the fact that he has to repeatedly inform her that she lost the bet. She huffs and places a modest peck on his lips.

"Wow, that was hot," Rufus sarcastically remarks and splashes his hand across both of her cheeks, giving her a passionate kiss in the middle of Eleanor and Cyrus' living room. Their lips disconnect and Lily puts her hand on her mouth, surprised by the intensity of their kiss. "Can you go get us drinks?"

"Sure Rufus, what would you like, water, beer, wine, arsenic, perhaps?" Lily deadpans, smirking at him.

"I'm sorry, what was my last drink option?"

"Wine," She shrugs and turns her head towards him, waiting for a response.

"A beer would be nice. I'll meet you by the kids," Rufus allows their contact to be severed for the time being, watching his wife go over and ask Cyrus for a beer for him, a soda for herself. She winks at him and accepts their drinks from Cyrus. Lily walks over to her husband, surrounded by their kids and their friends. Rufus steals his beer from Lily, coiling his arm around her waist in the process.

"Mom, I really like your dress," Serena says, wondering why her mother is so dressed up.

"Thanks, Rufus and Alex chose it for me," Lily explains and takes a sip of her soda. Serena, Blair and Jenny raise their eyebrows, curious as to why Lily let Rufus choose an outfit for her, even if Alex helped.

"Dad, why are you making Lily get you drinks?" Dan asks. He knows that Rufus would be more than willing to grab his pregnant wife a soda so she doesn't have to, something has to be up.

"Well…I…" Rufus is cut off by Eleanor shouting over the conversation for everyone to take their seats. Alex leads the kids to their seats, tugging on Chuck's hand.

"Take my hand," Rufus knits their fingers together and brings his wife over to two seats next to each other.

During dinner, Lily feels Rufus' hand on her knee, inching closer and closer to her thigh. Lily loudly clears her throat, signaling to her husband that he better stop before she has to break his fingers. Their eyes meet, green on brown and he arrogantly grins. _That bastard, _Lily thinks to herself and squeezes Rufus' hand that is now hidden underneath her dress.

Further down the table, Serena and Dan are watching their parents interactions with each other, seeing Rufus squirm in his seat, whisper something in Lily's ear and then she bites her lip.

"Okay, does anyone know what is going on with our parents?" Dan asks his siblings, Blair and Nate.

"As usual Humpty Dumpty you are a step behind," Chuck says with a roll of the eyes. Blair raises her eyebrows,

"Usually I would agree with you Bass, but even I'm clueless as to what is happening between S's mom and Humphrey's dad. Now, spill or lose a kidney." Eric, Jenny and Nate laugh at Blair's threat, which includes a raise of a butter knife.

"The only thing I can say is Lily and Rufus made a bet with each other. I am guessing Lily lost because of the dress Rufus and Alex picked out for her," Chuck explains.

"Wait, Alex, you picked that out for your mom?" Jenny asks, impressed by the toddlers choice.

"Mhmm! I like dat colwer, it's very pwetty," Alex confirms with a nod of the head.

"This is weird, even for my mom," Eric comments and Serena nods her head in agreement.

Lily is trying to piece together exactly what is going on with her husband. Rufus is similar to her in the way that they don't like public displays of affection. However, he has her holding his hand, kissing him, amongst other things. Why? There has to be a reason for the sudden personality change. He isn't doing it to make someone else jealous because her husband isn't familiar with most of the people here. _Is he having constant contact with me just because he can? No, that doesn't sound like him, there has to be something deeper going on here. _Lily thinks to herself and lets her husband keep his hand where it is until she figures him out.

After dinner, some guests leave for other Thanksgiving feasts while others move to the living room for desert. Lily begrudgingly asks Rufus if she can go check on Alex to see if she wants to stay while Eleanor takes him into the living room. Lily yells to him to save her a seat and goes off to find their daughter.

"Alex, do you want to stay for a little while?" Lily asks Alex, who is in Blair's room, sharing Harold Waldorf's famous pie with Chuck, Nate and Blair. Alex taps her chin, thinking it over as Chuck takes her fork.

"Hey Chuck! Gimme dat back!" Alex yanks the fork out of Chuck's hand and sticks her tongue out. "Mommy, I stay, I need to eat dis pie before Chuck does."

"Okay, I'll tell daddy that you want to stay, but not for much longer. And you need to be nicer to Chuck; he can have some of the pie too."

"Ah K mommy, I wuv Chuck, so I be nice." Lily smiles,

"Have you guys seen Dan, Jenny or Serena?" Blair shakes her head,

"I would guess that S and the other Humphrey's are downstairs listening to my mother's god awful stories. We just snuck upstairs for a second, but we will be right back down." Lily nods and leaves Alex with her son and his friends. When she gets downstairs, she notices that there isn't room on the couch for her, not even next to Rufus.

"Lil, over here," Rufus waves her over to him. Serena, Eric, Dan and Jenny are sitting. Lily walks over to them and notices that her husband isn't moving, instead he is spreading his legs a part a bit. She furrows her eyebrows at him, certainly he can't be serious? "Oh no sweetheart, your seat is here."

"Rufus…no," She protests, noticing that people are starting to stare at them, including their kids.

"Come on," he hooks his arm around her waist and plops her down on his thigh.

"Ten bucks my mom does something to embarrass your dad," Eric whispers in Jenny's ear.

"You are so on," Jenny mumbles back and winks at Dan who is saying something to Serena, pointing to his dad and Lily.

Lily is annoyed with her husband that he caused a scene. All of these miserable societal women have something to gossip about at the next social gathering. She has to get back at him and is willing to wait for the perfect opportunity to do it.

"So Lily, you and Rufus seem happy," Anne Archibald says with a grimace. Rufus tilts his head up at his wife, smiling while he glides his fingertips down her arm. Lily senses some revulsion in her former friend's tone and devilishly smirks. _This is your chance Lily, take it!_

"You will never believe what my _darling _husband did for me the other day," Lily pauses to capture everyone's attention, "I was craving some Serafina's and Rufus drove all the way across town to get me and our baby some." She puts her hand on her baby bump, taking pleasure in the sappy expressions on their faces and Rufus' flaming cheeks. _Time for the finishing touch complete with a love-sick teenager voice, _"now, tell me, isn't that the most romantic thing you have ever heard?" She presses an over-the-top kiss to his cheek, internally cheering at the mortified expression on her husband's face.

Serena and Dan laugh into their hands, realizing that Lily just did that to get under Rufus' skin, seeing as how their parents never discuss their marriage with other people. Jenny slides ten dollars over to Eric who is silently thanking his mother for her obviously embellished story.

"Time to go," Rufus says, pushing his wife off of his lap. He bolts upstairs to collect Alex while Lily says goodbye to everyone.

"I loved that little performance you gave there, mom," Serena says and hugs Lily.

"Thank you, I thought I did well," Lily says back as she moves on to hug Eric, Dan and Jenny.

"I think you ruined my dad's macho persona with that story Lily," Dan says and high fives his step-mother.

"Eh, I think he will survive." Lily hears Alex laughing at something Rufus says to her while they are trying to obtain their coats. She walks over to her husband and daughter, doing a dramatic curtsey. Rufus glares at her, but leans forward to place a kiss on her lips.

"Let's go before you tell everyone about what I did for our anniversary." Rufus grumbles and puts his hand on the small of Lily's back. Alex waves to everyone over her shoulder while being carried out by her father.

After putting Alex to bed, Lily and Rufus are moving around each other to get ready for bed. Lily comes up behind Rufus, bringing her arms around his torso, stamping a kiss to his shoulder.

"I finally figured out what you were doing today at Eleanor's." Rufus turns, wanting to face his wife to hear what she has to say.

"You did? And what exactly was I doing?" Lily crosses her arms over his neck, smiling serenely.

"You, my darling, wanted everyone to know that I am yours, that we are married and I am pregnant with your child. It was very cute actually, seeing you mark your territory like that, but also a little annoying." Rufus scoffs,

"I was doing no such thing. I merely wanted to prove to you that you don't always have to be in control. It's nice to see you without it."

"You aren't going to admit it, are you?"

"Only when you admit that you have a need to be in charge."

"I guess we are at an impasse then." Rufus laughs and picks his wife up, kissing her fully as he carries her to their bed. He sets her down and she automatically reaches for him, that kiss he gave her makes her want more of him. Lily moves her hand behind his neck, pulling him closer as her tongue searches his mouth. This time when they separate, Rufus presses his forehead against hers, taking in a few staggered breaths.

"I love you" He whispers into her collarbone, feeling the goose bumps of her flesh rise up against his lips as he unhooks her bra and drops it to the floor, cupping her breasts with both of his hands as his lips starts to kiss and nip at her neck.

Lily gasps as her hormones rushes into every crevice of her body, his lips leaving marks of heat on her skin, his thumbs burning into her peaked nipples as he rubs them. Rufus taunts her by stepping away briefly to rid himself of any remaining clothes. Lily huffs in frustration and slips her underwear off, not wanting to waste anymore time. They find each other again and Rufus smiles into her skin, leaving a trail of kisses from her neck to her shoulder blade.

"Rufus…now…" Lily commands, unsure if she is going to be able to endure anymore teasing from him. Rufus smiles and lowers his fingers down in between her thighs, torturing her with his hand. Lily moans and grinds herself against him; maybe she is coming off as too demanding and needy, but she doesn't care right now. He withdraws his fingers, knowing that he has built her up enough before he enters her.

"Oooh," Rufus hums, letting out a shuddered breath when he realizes how amazing his wife makes him feel. Lily tilts her pelvis up, wanting him to go deeper.

"Harder," falls out of her lips while she grips his shoulders. Rufus complies to her wish, trying to balance her needs with the safety of their unborn child. An incredible smile forms on Lily's lips, almost undoing her husband completely. However, Rufus gets control over himself and starts moving at a more frantic pace.

Moments later, Rufus exhales loudly into the air around them, his hips bucking in an intense rhythm as he feels himself beginning to unravel inside of her with the force of tidal wave.

"You feel so good." He manages to groan running his hands up her sides before his right one slid down to her clit, his index finger teasing her once more as Lily shake underneath him in the midst of one of the most powerful orgasm he has ever seen her experience.

The action of his skillful finger sends her off like a rocket, the extra power boost making her cry out louder as her fingernails dig into the soft down comforter beneath her. Her ears being filled next with the sound of Rufus saying her name as he cups her breasts, her body feeling his body jerking above as her as he rides out the final waves of his own orgasm before he slows down his strokes, leaving them both gasping for air as he rolled off of her and onto his back, lying wide eyed while he stares up at the ceiling with his chest heaving up and down rapidly.

Lily swallows deeply and brings the back of her hand to her forehead. A little dazed, she looks over at her husband, hoping he is feeling the same way.

"Wow," is all that is passed between them for a few minutes, taking a few minutes to recover. Lily senses her husband's eyes on her, assessing, analyzing for any signs of discomfort.

"I'm okay darling," she assures him, ghosting her hand over her swollen stomach. Rufus acquiesces with a kiss to the cheek, rolling out of bed to put on his boxers before going into the closet to grab her something to wear. "And I love you too."

It takes a minute to register, but eventually he gathers her into his arms, sweeping a kiss to her wayward blonde locks. Goodnight kisses are swapped and then they both fall asleep, exhausted.

**A/N 2: Okay, I know I promised that the gender would be revealed, but I didn't just want to throw it in at the end just because. Next chapter, Rufus' mom pops into town to torture her least favorite daughter-in-law. Thanks for reading and please leave a review on your way out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks for all the lovely reviews, I really appreciate getting them! Sorry if this update is a little late, I have been incredibly busy. This chapter is rated M and I have no idea what Rufus' mom looks like or anything, so everything is made up. Enjoy!**

**Chapter Six**

About a week in a half after Thanksgiving, Alex Humphrey scampers into her parents' bedroom to wake her parents up.

"Mommy, daddy, up! Up!" Alex exclaims, climbing onto the bed and inching her way towards them. Rufus groans and digs his head deeper into his wife's blonde hair, desperate to get a few more minutes of shut eye. However, Alex isn't having it and smacks her dad on the leg.

"I'm awake Alex," Lily mumbles with her eyes closed. Rufus removes his arm that is slung over Lily and rubs his eyes.

"Yeah me too," Rufus whispers, his eyes slowly flickering open. Alex smiles, she is proud of herself for accomplishing her task. Lily sits up in bed, leaning against the headboard for support. Rufus grumbles a complaint about being woken up so early and uses his fists to hoist himself up so he can sit next to his wife.

"Good mornin' I come wif you today?" Alex asks, her eyes shimmering, filled with hope. Lily and Rufus sigh in frustration,

"Alex, we already talked about this, you have to go to school," Rufus says for the both of them. Alex is, of course, referring to the rescheduled ultrasound that is planned for later that morning. Their daughter pouts, the puppy dog eyes are in full effect.

"But daddy…" Rufus cuts Alex off as he wraps an arm around Lily.

"Alex, mommy and I promise to tell you if the baby is a boy or a girl the second you get home from school okay?" He laces some sternness into his voice so his daughter will know that he is serious.

"Girl," Alex says matter-of-factually, daring her parents to challenge her.

"Sweetie, the baby might be a boy," Lily takes over for her husband while he pulls the blankets higher up on their legs.

"No boy, girl," Alex crosses her arms and raises her eyebrows in true Lily fashion.

"What's wrong with boys? You do have four brothers you know," Rufus points out.

"Boys are gwoss. Not Chuck and Tywer, dem boys are gweat," Alex states. Lily laughs despite herself, but Rufus isn't as amused. She nudges her husband in the ribs, silently telling him to think carefully of his answer before responding.

"Alright Al, go get ready for school, I'll be down to make you some waffles in a little bit," Rufus chooses to bypass his daughter's comment about boys; he doesn't want to get in trouble with his wife. Alex frowns and turns to leave, no longer entertained by her parents.

"She is going to be so happy when we come home and tell her it's a boy," Lily says sarcastically.

"No, she is going to be happy when we prove that I am right and it's a girl," Rufus gloats.

"You are never right," Lily says, brushing a kiss to her husband's lips, her way of saying good morning.

"Fine, occasionally I am less wrong," Rufus admits, playing along with wife. Lily laughs and tucks her head into his neck. "I should get up, make Alex breakfast." He kisses the top of her head and slips out of the covers.

"Don't forget about our appointment!" Lily calls out after him, not wanting to relive that incident last week. Rufus stills, turns on his heels to face her, his face feigning shock.

"What appointment?" His wife glares at him, "Too soon?" Lily nods in affirmation and throws her robe at him as he is closing the bathroom door behind him.

After Rufus drops Alex off at school, he takes a taxi back to the penthouse where Lily is still getting ready. He huffs and sits down on their bed, waiting for his wife to come out of the bathroom.

"We are going to be late, if you don't hurry up!" Rufus yells through the door. Inside the bathroom, Lily jumps at the sound of her husband's voice and messes up her eyeliner.

"I am almost ready," Lily says back, reaching for a make-up remover pad to fix her mistake.

"Seriously honey, you look beautiful without it," Rufus stands up and hovers in the entrance of the doorway, watching her. Lily smirks at him, walking over to place a gentle kiss to his lips.

"Thank you, just give me another minute and I'll be good to go, but you can't watch. It makes me nervous," she shoos him out of the room. Rufus groans and walks downstairs to grab their coats. Lily strolls downstairs a few minutes later, laughing when she sees her impatient husband waiting with her jacket. "I think our daughter has more patience than you." Rufus scoffs at her while helping her put on her coat.

"It's not my fault that you take forever to get ready," He complains, reaching to snag her head, leading them towards the elevator.

"I'm a woman and I'm pregnant, don't rush me."

They make the short trip to Dr. Sutherland's office, arriving hand-in-hand. Lily checks in while Rufus finds them some empty seats. She sits next to her husband, who is checking his messages on his phone.

"The kids are coming for dinner at six, I am sure that they are placing bets with each other as we speak." Rufus tells Lily and shuts off his cell. Lily looks up from the magazine she is flipping through and shrugs.

"I don't think Scott can come, but we can tell him at Christmas. My mother…" Lily trails off when she sees a scowl forming on Rufus' face. "What?"

"That is my least favorite start of a sentence from you." Lily quirks an eyebrow at her husband,

"And what would your favorite be then?" Rufus leans in, whispering in her ear,

"When you say I'm naked and then the rest is kind of a blur." Lily blushes and scans the room, hoping that no one else overheard their conversation. Luckily, the nurse calls Lily's name, causing Lily and Rufus to follow her to an empty exam room. The nurse asks Lily some routine questions and leaves the couple with a promise that Dr. Sutherland will be in shortly.

"So, as I was saying before you _rudely _interrupted me, I think my mother is coming down for Christmas. I don't like it, but CeCe, as usual, doesn't care." Rufus shrugs, he really doesn't mind Lily's mother visiting them that much anymore; he just finds it funny that his wife seems more annoyed with his mother-in-law then he is.

"We will get through it like we always do. If not, we can give her some of her own spiked eggnog so we won't have to deal," Rufus says, reaching over to rub Lily's shoulder.

"I like the way you think," Lily nudges her nose against his, placing a kiss there. Their conversation is put on hold when Dr. Sutherland enters, wheeling in an ultrasound machine.

"I thought since the exam at your last appointment was normal, we could just skip right to the fun stuff." Rufus and Lily eagerly nod at the doctor's proposition. Lily stands up and situates herself on the exam table. She pushes her black leggings lower on her hips and her coral, ruffle t-shirt dress higher up so her baby bump is exposed. Rufus moves behind the exam table, fastening his fingers through hers.

"Do you guys have the same bet going as last time?" Dr. Sutherland asks to distract Lily so she doesn't shiver when the probe makes contact with her skin. Rufus is impressed that the doctor remembers since it has been three years since they were in this position, waiting to find out the gender of their baby.

"Yeah, Rufus and I even picked the same genders as last time," Lily adds and tilts her head toward the screen, beaming when their child comes on the screen. Rufus combs his fingers through Lily's hair, distracted by their baby showing off for them. Lily points to the baby waving at them, looking up at Rufus with a wide grin.

"Well, I can say that you are definitely having a boy this time," the doctor tells them and continues to glide the probe around Lily's swollen abdomen, double checking to make sure everything is fine. Rufus squeezes his wife's hand, even though he picked the wrong gender, he is still ecstatic that their baby is a boy. The machine is turned off and the doctor hands Lily a rag to wipe the gel off her stomach. "Before I go, I just wanted to let you know that you and the baby are healthy. I want to see you in a month." Dr. Sutherland gives Lily some pictures, smiles at Rufus and walks out.

Lily uses the towel to clean off her belly and Rufus rounds the table to help his wife sit up. Rufus slides the pictures into his wallet while Lily fixes her clothing.

"Hey," Rufus mumbles, using his knuckle to bring her chin up. He locks their lips, feeling her smile against them.

"Rufus, we are having a boy," Lily whispers in pure elation. Rufus eases her off the table, still holding onto her hand.

"I know and you get to pick out his name as long as it doesn't come from your list," Rufus tells her, referencing the list of people they have slept with in the past.

"If I knew you were going to hang that list over my head every chance you get, I never would have suggested making them. However, I can promise you that our son will not be named after Klaus with a C or a K," Lily tells him and brushes a kiss to his lips. Rufus laughs and opens the car door for them, letting her slide in first.

"I am surprised you aren't gloating more, that's not like you," Rufus comments as the taxi takes them back to the penthouse. Lily bites her lip,

"If you want me to rub it in your face I will. I was right…I was right…Ha…ha… I was right…" she sing-songs, dancing in the back of a cab, snapping her fingers back and forth. Rufus watches his wife, loving this carefree side of her. Not many people get to witness Lily Rhodes-Van der Woodsen-Bass- Humphrey dancing in the backseat of a taxi.

"Okay, enough," Rufus cuts off her dance by kissing her lips fully. She leans into him, breathing in his cologne and aftershave mix.

"Oh, and you get to enjoy a meal with my mother too, as an added bonus for being wrong," Lily says when their lips separate. Rufus rolls his eyes,

"I can't wait."

The taxi drops them off in front of their apartment complex, letting Rufus and Lily step out. The couple says hi to the kind hearted Belarusian doorman on their way up.

"Oh, Ms. Lily, Mr. Rufus, I have a lollipop for Ms. Alex," Vanya says, reaching into his pocket to hand over the red sucker. Rufus smiles, he hopes to use the treat to convince Alex that having a brother isn't all that bad.

"Thank you Vanya, Alex always appreciates the suckers you give her." Lily smiles in gratitude and follows her husband up the elevator, into their penthouse. Rufus collapses on the couch, bringing Lily down with him, peppering kisses to her cheek, chin and jaw. She tilts her head to the side, giving him better access. Her eyes close briefly, only to flutter open again by the sound of her phone beeping. She leans forward, swiping her purse off of the coffee table in order to locate her phone.

"Who is it?" Rufus asks and tucks a loose tendril behind her ear. Lily turns to face him, an apologetic look forming.

"It's Charles; I'm sorry, but have to get to this meeting." Lily stands up and walks over to her desk, grabbing the overflowing file on top of it. Rufus furrows his eyebrows,

"Hey Lil?"

"Hmm?" She mutters distractedly while reaching for her double breasted Burberry pea coat. He bites his lip, contemplating whether he should say something or let it go. "Rufus, is something wrong?" Lily stops moving, waiting for an explanation from her husband. He steps by her, placing both of his hands on her hips.

"Don't you think you should slow down a little bit?" Lily isn't sure whether to be defensive or appreciative of his concern for her. She splashes her hand on his cheek, gliding her thumb up and down.

"Darling, I'm fine. I promise I will relax for the rest of the day when I come back okay? I'll even let you cook dinner for our family," Lily jokes, wanting to reassure her husband and remind him at the same time that she is capable of taking care of herself. Rufus nods, a boyish grin playing on his face.

"Oh how very thoughtful of you. I am guessing you want me to tell Alex about her future brother while you are gone?" Lily shrugs,

"You said so yourself, the less stress for me, the better."

"I didn't say that, but fine. You go to the office and I will stay here to cook, clean and take care of our daughter. God, I sound like a housewife right now." Lily chuckles and their lips meet for a simple see-you-later-honey peck on the lips before she departs.

A few hours later, Rufus picks Alex up at the preschool and takes her back to the penthouse.

"Hi Alex, how was school?" Rufus asks, hoping to deter the conversation about the baby until they get home. He doesn't want Alex to throw a temper tantrum in public. _I sound like my wife, _Rufus thinks, but shakes it off. The toddler glowers; she doesn't want to talk about school.

"Daddy, pwease tell me 'bout baby. I don't wanna talk 'bout school. I tell Tywer I be gettin' a sister soon. He say dat he happy, I happy too." Rufus wishes his daughter isn't so hell bent on wanting a sister because they are having a boy.

"I will tell you about the baby when we get home, I think mommy wants to tell you herself." Rufus knows via text from Lily that the meeting went by quickly and she is currently on her way home. Hopefully, he can stall until then.

"Okay daddy, I wait for mommy." Rufus is surprised; he thought Alex would argue more with him. As much as he hates to see his daughter upset, he thinks that this will be a good life lesson for Alex. Obviously, he and Lily have no control over the gender and Alex needs to learn that she can't always get what she wants. Also, Rufus thinks in the long run that it will be better for Alex if she has a brother instead of a sister. Of course his daughter might not think of it now, but she will be grateful later on when she doesn't have to share her toys with her younger brother.

"Mommy! You a home!" Alex exclaims, running towards Lily with her arms outstretched. Lily scoops Alex up and maneuvers her daughter so she is resting on her hips, her legs draped across her baby bump.

"Hi baby, are you excited for your brother?" Lily asks. Rufus' jaw drops and Alex's eyebrow crinkles in confusion.

"What broder mommy? Chuck comin' here soon?" Lily realizes that her husband hasn't told Alex about the baby's gender yet and glares at Rufus.

"Well, daddy and I went to the doctor today and found out that you are getting another brother." The toddler's eyes shine with unshed tears, a pout tarnishing her smile.

"NO! Mommy and daddy, I want a sister," Alex cries into Lily's shoulder, coiling her arms around her mom's neck. Lily rubs the three-year-olds back, whispering comforts to her devastated daughter. Rufus hands the sucker over to his wife, mumbling an apology to her for not telling Alex sooner.

"Sweetie, listen, if me and daddy could have picked, we would have chosen a girl. You have two sisters that love you and would love to spend time with you okay?" Alex sniffs and pulls away, wanting to look directly at her mother.

"Mommy and daddy can you have anoder baby?" Lily and Rufus laugh as they shake their heads.

"No honey, this is our last baby. Do you want to help name the baby?" Lily offers, a last ditch effort to sway Alex on their side. Alex shrugs her shoulders, indifferent by this point.

"Okay! I like Elmo and Diego. Can we name da baby dat mommy?" Lily pretends to consider it for Alex's sake,

"Daddy and I will talk about it, but I think it's time for you to take a nap." Rufus walks over to his wife and daughter, extracting Alex from Lily's arms.

"I'll put her down Lil," Rufus tells his wife, trying to make up for that disastrous conversation with Alex. Lily kisses her daughter's cheek and watches as Rufus takes Alex up to her bedroom. She tosses her folder on the counter and sits on the couch with her feet up, wanting to de-stress for a few minutes.

"Daddy?" Alex asks as her father is tucking her into bed. Rufus sits on the toddler's tiny bed and hands Alex her favorite stuffed animal of the moment, a polar bear named Beary.

"Yes, Al?"

"I pfink a broder will be okay." Alex mumbles sleepily and clutches her bear closer to her chest. Rufus stands up, twists and presses a kiss to her temple.

"Love you Alex," He whispers before closing the door behind him.

When Rufus strolls down the stairs, Lily is reading through her notes from her meeting. He comes up behind her, massaging her shoulders while brushing a kiss to the crown of her head.

"I thought you said you would relax after the meeting." A gentle scold makes Lily drop her file and lift her head up to look at her husband upside down.

"I am relaxing, my feet are up and this massage you are giving me is very soothing." Lily pats his hand that is resting on her shoulder. Rufus huffs and stops the massage. He marches over to where his wife is sitting and picks her up. "Rufus! Where are we going?"

"To our bedroom so you can take a nap," He tells her as he reaches the top of the stairs. Lily scoffs; she hates it when he treats her like a child.

"I feel like Alex." He smirks and kisses her swiftly on the cheek. Lily swings open the door to their bedroom and allows Rufus to gently lay her down on the bed, tucking her under the covers. Rufus starts to leave, but Lily snatches his hand. "No, if you are making me sleep, you have to stay with me until I fall asleep." He begins to protest, spurting out an excuse about doing something for the gallery, but Lily is insistent. Finally, Rufus crawls under the covers with her, pressing her against him, his hand fanning over her swollen abdomen.

"I'm sorry I left you to tell Alex," He whispers into her hair, breathing in the lilac scent trapped in her blonde tendrils.

"Its fine, she handled it better than I thought she would," She yawns, breaking up their conversation.

"Get some sleep my love," Rufus kisses the back of her head as she drifts off to sleep.

Later on, after Lily and Alex have woken up from their naps, Rufus starts making dinner for the family. Not long after that, their older kids arrive. Serena gets to the penthouse first and steals Alex away from Rufus.

"Did you ever hear from your brother darling?" Lily asks Serena, giving her a one-armed hug.

"Yeah he says that he texted you saying he was coming, but you never responded back," Serena says and steals a cucumber off the cutting board.

"My phone is dead, stop eating the cucumbers, they need to go into this salad I am making," Lily says, lightly swatting her daughter's hand away.

"Making? It's not that hard to put together a salad mom," Serena teases, handing another cucumber she pilfered to Alex.

"For your mother, it is," Rufus chimes in while he opens the oven to check on the lasagna. Lily shoots a glare at Rufus and tosses the cucumbers into the salad bowl.

Eric arrives with Dan and Jenny about twenty minutes later. Lily is done with "making" her salad and is now catching up with the kids in the living room.

"Dinner is ready, if you guys want to get drinks," Rufus says over the counter. Jenny takes Alex and straps her into the booster seat while the rest of the children get themselves refreshments. Lily grabs the salad bowl and follows her family into the dining room.

"Where Chuck go? He needs to know 'bout baby," Alex declares, glancing around the table at her parents and older siblings. Serena, Lily and Eric nervously exchange looks, they know how much Alex loves when Chuck is here.

"He took Blair out to dinner tonight, but we will see him tomorrow at the event at the Empire," Serena pacifies Alex and then remembers that Alex isn't invited to the party because she is too young.

"We can call him later sweetie." Lily assures her youngest daughter.

"Okay, so, we need to know for financial reasons: boy or girl?" Dan asks. Rufus feels his phone vibrate in his pocket and reaches for it, shocked to see who is calling him.

"Rufus?" Lily asks, placing her hand over his. Rufus jumps up, clutching his phone tightly in his hand.

"I have to get this." He leaves the room without an explanation.

"What was that about?" Jenny asks Dan, figuring if anyone would know it would be him or Lily. Dan shrugs and looks over at Lily who looks just as confused as him.

"Should we wait for him to get back?" Eric asks his mother. Lily looks over at Alex who is trying her best not to spill the secret.

Rufus closes the door to Serena's bedroom before he makes any attempt to answer the phone.

"Mom? Is something wrong?" Rufus asks, wondering why his mother, Donna Humphrey, is calling him. It's no secret that he doesn't have the best relationship with his mother, similar to his wife's relationship with CeCe. There has to be a reason why his mom would just contact him out of the blue.

"No, I have a few days free and I want to see Jenny and Dan." Rufus notices that she doesn't say Alex, her other grandchild simply because she is Lily's daughter.

"Well, that's great mom, but I will have to check with Lil first."

"Oh, I forgot you didn't live in Brooklyn anymore, Lily _made _you move." Rufus bites his tongue; he doesn't want to argue with his mother about his choice to move to the Upper East Side.

"Mom…"

"Let me know, I want to book the tickets as soon as possible." His mother hangs up, not letting Rufus respond. Rufus taps the end button on his phone and hits his phone against his hand. When he gets back into the dining room, his family is chatting animatedly about the latest development regarding their baby- his son.

"Honey," Lily touches his arm, her voice dripping with worry.

"You and I can talk later," Rufus whispers back to her. Lily nods in understanding, but is a little shocked. Usually, she is the one in their relationship that is reluctant to open up. Serena breaks away from her conversation with Dan and Alex to glance over at Rufus and Lily. Her mom seems worried about Rufus which is unusual; it's typically the other way around.

"Everything okay?" Serena asks her mother and step-father.

"Yeah, I'll get desert," Rufus stands up and disappears into the kitchen to grab his famous chocolate cake.

"Mommy, can I have some cake?" Alex asks Lily.

"My darling, you didn't eat much." Alex leans over in her booster seat and dumps the food on her plate onto Jenny's.

"All gone mommy! See?" Alex proudly shows off her clean plate.

"You can have a very tiny piece," Lily concedes.

"Hey, what's going on with our dad?" Jenny whispers over to Dan.

"I am not sure, but I don't think Lily knows either." The two Humphreys eye their step-mother who keeps staring into the kitchen over Alex's head. Rufus returns with the cake and plates for everyone.

They eat desert and then play some board games, slowly losing their older kids as the night goes on.

"I think Alex is worn out," Lily comments, looking over at their daughter who is passed out on the couch. "Rufus, did you hear me?" Her husband ends his staring contest with the coffee table to look up at her.

"Uh huh, I'll put her to bed. Meet you up there?"

"Yeah," Lily mutters distractedly, confused as to what could possibly be on her husband's mind. He isn't mad at her, but something is obviously bothering him. Rufus scoops up Alex and takes her upstairs, softly laying her on the tiny toddler bed.

Lily sneaks upstairs to take a shower while her husband is busy with Alex. Twenty minutes later, she comes out dressed in a black nightgown with a bright purple silk robe. She notices that Rufus is lying on top of the bed, in his pajamas, half looking at a magazine.

"Hey, are you okay?" Lily asks, pulling back to the covers to scoot in next to her husband.

"Yeah, why?"

"You are wearing my reading glasses instead of yours." Rufus slides the glasses off and hands them over to his wife. Lily laughs and sets them on her nightstand. She loops her arms around his torso, dropping her head on his shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Rufus sighs and looks down at her. Communication and compromise have always been the two biggest issues in their marriage. He always pushes Lily to talk to him, it wouldn't be right if he would keep something from her.

"My mom called, she wants to come up and see the kids since she has a few days free. I didn't agree to anything because I wanted to talk to you about it first."

"Oh," Lily whispers. His mother doesn't like Lily, but not in the way CeCe doesn't like Rufus. CeCe likes to tease and interfere in his marriage to Lily just because she likes screwing with them. With Rufus' mother, she genuinely doesn't want Rufus to be married to Lily because of their past.

"Lil, if it is too much stress for you and our baby then I can tell her not to come," Rufus assures her. Lily looks up at him with a smirk.

"No, I think your mom should come. You have put up with plenty from my mother; I can do the same for you…under one condition."

"Are we really negotiating right now?"

"Hey, you want something, I want something, compromising is what marriage is all about."

"What do you want?" Lily gently readjusts in bed so her head is resting on her fist.

"Chuck's event is at the Empire tomorrow and I don't have a date. What would you say to putting on a suit and joining me for a few hours?" Rufus scowls, he was planning on using his get-out-of-an-event free card tomorrow to spend the night with their daughter.

"I guess, but who is going to watch Alex?"

"We can call Kim, I am sure she would be willing to babysit for the night." Rufus pouts when he realizes that he can't come with another excuse to escape Chuck's party tomorrow night.

"I have to admit, I thought you were going to ask for sexual favors," Rufus mutters, his eyebrows wagging mischievously. Lily rolls on top of him, passionately kissing him on the lips.

"I thought that was implied already," She says between kisses. He tilts his neck up, reaching for their pillows. Lily stops assaulting his neck with kisses to ask what he is doing.

"I want to give you a back rub. Can you lie flat on your stomach?" Rufus asks, throwing the robe off of her shoulder.

"I don't think I should, but I can lie on my side," Lily moves so her back is facing him. Rufus tenderly kisses her shoulder and works to knead the knots out of her back. Lily lets out a slight whimper when his fingers dance over a tender spot on her shoulder blade. "I hope you don't expect a back massage when my mother comes."

Rufus laughs and tosses her hair over her shoulder in order to have more of her back exposed.

"I wasn't thinking about it, but I feel like I should." His hands barrel down her back, reaching a particular tender spot.

"Ow!" Lily says with a grimace, arching her body away from him.

"Oh stop being such a baby," Rufus jokes, pulling her back against him by wrapping his arms around her chest. Lily giggles, turning to place a gentle peck on his lips.

"Don't be mean to the woman carrying your child Rufus." Lily says as she feels Rufus start to massage her back again. Rufus smiles against her skin and roughly nips her shoulder. "OW! Could you not do that?" She squirms away from him, the massage no longer soothing to her.

"Aw Lil, come back," Rufus pouts, holding his arms out for her. Lily shakes her head and crawls on top of him, straddling her husband. She sneaks her hand down to the hem line of his gray t-shirt, roughly yanking it off of him. Her hands skate down his naked chest and she leans forward to stamp a kiss on his collarbone. Rufus places his palms on her shoulders, pulling her back so he can stare at her. He caresses her cheek with his hand while using the other to tug the ebony nightgown off of her followed by her white lace thong.

As Lily sits naked before him, Rufus studies her figure, taking in the subtle as well as not so subtle changes brought forth by her pregnancy thus far. Although her increased flood of hormones has made sex between them more frequent, her body is also the culprit as well, the enhanced curves around her hips, her abdomen no longer flat but with a nice little rounded arch to it, her breasts full, round and gorgeous, wanting nothing more than his mouth and hands upon them. The mere sight of her instantly arouses him.

When his eyes move back up to her face after languishing over her body, Lily meets him with a smile.

"I thought we were going to have some fun, but if you'd rather just stare that's fine too." She teases, feeling the intensity of his gaze while also seeing the adoration he has for her body held within the intense green hue of his eyes.

"Hold on, I am just deciding which part of you to touch first." Rufus replies in a low voice before rubbing her creamy thighs. His lips meet hers; his tongue immediately granted entry to search her mouth for the passion he knows is tucked away there, waiting for him to bring it out of her. Lily loops her arms around Rufus' neck and draws him in closer to her, feeling his bare flesh brushing across her bare breasts as his strong frame lightly presses against her.

Rufus lets his hands roam her body…the feel of her soft skin…warm and responsive to his touch as his hands move down the curve of her back, her mouth tasting sweet with the hint of his chocolate cake she had eaten earlier leaving its impression behind on her tongue.

Breaking free from the deep kiss between them he looks into her eyes briefly before placing some soft, slow kisses onto her full lips, his thumb caressing her jaw line before allowing his lips to travel to the delicate skin of her neck where he begins to suck gently on her flesh.

"You smell different." He whispered against her skin as the intoxicating scent of vanilla fills his nose. It is saccharine, but with a bite to it as well, just like her.

"Do you like it? I got some new body wash." Lily murmurs while his teeth nibble at the part of her neck that sends chills up her spine.

"Hmm…very much," Rufus breathes into her skin as his right hand slides down and cups her ass. Rufus meets eyes with Lily again as her golden hair cascades over her shoulders, placing his hands onto her back as he takes her left breast into his mouth first, teasing her nipple with his tongue.

Lily feels as if her entire body is on fire as Rufus sucks her peaked her nipple while his hands rub and caress the part of her that he is obsessed with before his fingers travel lower, the tips of them just barely brushing against her entrance, causing her to gasp.

Rufus moves his mouth over to her right breast, painting the nipple with his tongue before he blows a hot breath upon it, beginning to suck on it with more urgency as Lily hovers above him, her body starting to rock back and forth.

"_Rufus!"_Lily moans, resting her chin on the crown of his head before kissing his forehead and gasping for air.

Orchestrating his movements based on her responses that he knows so very well now, Rufus guides his right hand down past the roundness of her ass to the spot between her thighs, his middle finger, entering inside from behind as he rubs his stubble against her hard nipple before sucking it into his mouth again.

He feels Lily tremble above him as he starts moving the finger in and out of her silky, wet core while the two fingers beside it brushes over her clit, her hot breath rushing into the side of his face.

"_Oh…god…."_Lily mutters with a gasp as she starts to flex her hips up and down on his finger while Rufus rolls his tongue across her nipple.

Letting out a shallow breath, Lily swallows hard as she feels the tingling sensation between her thighs start to build just as Rufus removes his finger from inside of her and carefully flips her onto her back.

Rufus sense her hot breath against his face as Lily stares up at him, her eyes filled with lust, her arms automatically finding the place around his neck when he had rolled her over onto the mattress.

When Rufus releases his lips from her own, Lily watches his mouth travel down between the valley of her breasts, the tip of it now making a wet trail down to her navel, followed by quickly by her goose bumps. He looks up at his wife and gives her a grin before he happily abandons her waistline for the sweet heat below it.

She closes her eyes, enjoying the sensation before gripping his shoulders and pushing him onto his back before straddling him. She reaches for him, guiding him inside her.

Rufus exhales deeply through his mouth, looking down between them and letting out a groan as she sunk down onto him, her tight entrance causing a mind blowing resistance at first before his entire length slides deeply inside of her.

"Do you like that Rufus?" Lily asks in a smoky voice that is still drunk with desire from the pleasure he had given to her.

"Yes." Rufus answers with a loud gasp as she starts riding slowly up and down on him, her hands delving onto his shoulders as she moans again, the feel of his erection filling up the still throbbing part inside of her, keeping the pulsing waves of her orgasm alive.

Rufus immediately brings his pelvis up from the mattress to meet hers, his thrusts in tune with the rolling of her hips, uttering out her name in a rugged voice.

Lily increases her rhythm, arching her back and granting him deeper access inside of her, feeling him begin to thrust more rapidly up into of her because of it, the primal side of him awake and hungering for everything she is giving to him. A fever of heat soaked words tumbles from his mouth…her name burning among them, the sweat on her body releasing more of the sweet smell of vanilla as Rufus experiences his orgasm travel throughout his body, the sheer power of it knocking everything down in its path, leaving nothing in its wake.

Looking down at him, Lily watches the euphoria wash over her husband's face, his eyes connecting with her for the briefest of seconds before he completely let go, closing them as his hips buck up into hers once more as he comes inside of her. Lily leans down and kisses his forehead, cheek and lips, catching her breath.

"God that was good_."_ Rufus whispers into her hair, exhaling loudly as he wraps his arms around her, pulling her body closer to him while kissing the side of her neck.

"Your mother should come more often," Lily jokes, tilting her head to the side to face her husband. Rufus snickers against her lips, placing his hand on her cheek for a brief moment.

"Love you," He whispers while grabbing a pillow that fell on the floor.

"Love you too," Lily says back, her eyelids already fluttering closed.

The next night, Rufus greets the nanny and leaves Alex downstairs with her while he goes in search for his wife. He stops in their walk in closet first, wanting her approval on his outfit to save her from complaining that they don't _exactly _match…women. Rufus snatches two similar looking gold ties from his massive collection he has acquired since marrying Lily. He knocks on the bathroom door, prompting Lily to open it for him.

"Is it too much?" Lily asks, doing a slight twirl in a loose fitting golden flapper dress. Her hair is done up in old Hollywood curls, ebony eyeliner with a light shimmer embellishing her eyes and long pearls draping around her neck. Rufus hooks his arm around her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"No, I love it. Which one?" He separates from her to show the two comparable ties, letting her choose between them. Lily holds them up to her dress, choosing the one that matches closer to her outfit.

"Kim is here," Rufus comments as he watches his wife's nimble fingers expertly fix his tie.

"Okay, I'm ready," Lily turns to grab her clutch. Rufus shoves his hands in his pockets,

"Wait, we are actually ready at the same time? Are you feeling okay?" Lily sneers at him, sensing his hand rest naturally on the small of her back.

"Well, I don't like my dress, let me change," She teases, breaking away from her husband to stroll into their closet. Rufus reaches out to her, steering her toward the door of the master bedroom.

"We are paying our nanny by the hour, let's go." Husband and wife walk down the stairs together, smiling at the sight of their daughter giggling at something the nanny tells her.

"Mommy, I wuv your hair!" Alex exclaims, rushing over to her parents.

"Thank you my darling," Lily comments while Rufus walks over to the closet to grab up their coats, sliding Lily's over her shoulders.

"Daddy, you look pwetty too." Everything visually appealing to Alex is 'pretty' rather than handsome or beautiful.

"Thanks Al, be good for Kim okay? I want you to be asleep by the time me and mommy get back," Rufus tells Alex and picks her up to say goodnight.

"AH K daddy! A muah!" Alex presses a kiss to her dad's cheek in the same fashion as her mother. Rufus passes their daughter over to his wife.

"Bye darling, have fun."

"Mommy, say to Chuck dat I miss him k? Dis is 'mportant. I wuv you!" Alex coils her tiny arms around Lily's neck, messing up her hair a bit. Lily nods and kisses Alex's forehead.

"I won't forget sweetie, I love you too." Rufus entwines hands with his wife, waving goodbye to Alex over his shoulder.

In the limo on the way to the party, Rufus checks his phone, realizing that he has a voicemail. He listens to it while Lily raids the mini fridge, picking out a soda. She watches her husband as she sips on her soda, noticing a frown dull his smile.

"Everything okay?" She asks tentatively, not wanting to push him. Rufus scratches his temple and puts his phone back into his pocket.

"Yeah, my mom left me a message saying that she is flying in tomorrow afternoon."

"Wow, that's rather sudden."

"Yeah," Rufus mumbles in disbelief. Lily pats his thigh and giggles slightly. "Why are you laughing at me? You are supposed to be on my side."

"Darling I am. It's just funny to see you so terrified." Rufus crosses his arms like a petulant child.

"Lil…" She loses her cheeky grin when she realizes that Rufus is starting to become annoyed by her mockery. Lily rubs his arm, reverting to a more serious expression.

"Hey, I'm sorry; I know this is stressful for you because your mother doesn't like me." Rufus turns his head towards her,

"We'll get through this Lil; it's not your fault. I am actually wishing CeCe was coming tomorrow instead of my mother." He manages a miniscule grin at the horrified, wide-eyed look on his wife's face.

"My mother wouldn't be interested in visiting us anyway since we are out of gin."

The car rolls to a stop in front of the Empire Hotel. Their driver opens to door for the couple. Rufus gets out first and holds his hand out for Lily. She slips her hand into his, letting her husband escort her into the party. They check their coats in and start working their way around the room.

"Charles, it's so good to see you," Lily exclaims, brushing a kiss to her adopted son's cheek. Chuck shakes hands with Rufus as Serena, Blair and Nate come into their circle.

An hour later, Jack Bass is on his fourth scotch. He is surprised that he hasn't been thrown out of his nephew's party. His eyes scan the crowded ball room, spotting Lily chatting with Serena and Dan, Rufus' arm wrapped around her waist. Jack smirks, the last time he encountered Lily he gave her some bullshit speech about being a changed man. Rufus didn't buy it, but Lily seemed conflicted about whether to accept his apology or not. Hopefully, Lily doesn't notice him before he is able to put his plan into action.

Lily excuses herself from the conversation surrounding her to use the bathroom, leaving Rufus with their kids. Jack sees Lily walk away by herself and sets his half filled fifth drink on the bar, making his way over the bathrooms with his head down, not wanting to be spotted.

When she steps out of the bathroom, Lily feels someone yank on her arm, bringing her around to an empty corner. She laughs, thinking that Rufus wants to sneak off to have some alone time before they go home. Her smile fades, Rufus is never this rough with her, someone else is taking her away from the party. The darkness is covering the identity of this person and they aren't letting her break away.

"Stop," Lily demands and she jerks her arm away from him. Jack throws her against the wall and gets in her personal space. "Jack, leave me alone." His finger coil around her wrist, pressing hard as his other hand glides down her cheek. Lily squirms under his touch, desperately trying to get away from him.

"You don't want to fight me," He whispers in her ear as one of his hands cascades down her body. Lily uses all of her strength to push him off of her, not liking him pressing on her stomach. Jack is too strong though and becomes agitated by her attempt to escape. He clamps down on her wrist and attacks her lips, muffling a scream.

Rufus becomes concerned when he notices that Lily has been in the bathroom for almost fifteen minutes.

"Hey Chuck, have you seen Lil anywhere?" Rufus asks.

"No, I haven't. She is supposed to be talking to one of our investors. I'll go look for her."

"I'll go with you, come on." Rufus and Chuck flow through the masses of people all the while looking for Lily. "She said she was going to the bathroom." Chuck points in the direction of the bathroom and asks a lady coming out if she has seen Lily.

"No, there was nobody in there but me," The lady side steps Rufus and Chuck. Rufus swallows deeply and looks over at Chuck who is mirroring his apprehensive expression.

Jack is fighting against Lily to hike her dress up. Lily is clawing her way away from him unsuccessfully, hoping that Rufus has detected her absence and is looking for her.

Chuck hears a whimper coming from the dark end of the hallway leading away from the bathrooms. He taps Rufus on the shoulder and points to his left. When they approach, Chuck and Rufus see Jack attempting to rape Lily for the second time.

"Get away from her!" Chuck yells and throws Jack off of his mother. Rufus immediately walks over to Lily, gathering her in his arms. "I want you out before security throws you out. NOW!" Jack tugs on his tie, bringing it back up to his neck. Before Lily can stop Rufus, he goes up to Jack and punches him in the face.

"Rufus!" Lily exclaims and reaches for her husband, surprised by his behavior; she has never seen him hit someone before. Security arrives to assess the situation.

"I want him thrown out of here," Chuck orders his guards, pointing to Jack and turns to leave. He wants to give Rufus and Lily some space.

"Charles, don't tell the kids okay?" Lily asks in a quiet voice, leaning back towards her husband, feeling comforted by his thumb gliding over her skin. Chuck nods and kisses Lily's cheek before leaving.

As soon as they are alone, Rufus twirls her around, engulfing her in her arms.

"Can we go home?" Lily whispers into his blazer while pushing down the urge to cry. Rufus kisses her forehead and takes her hand, bypassing all the guests to get to the coat check. He doesn't want to leave her alone right now, especially since Jack could easily slip back into the party undetected.

Ever since they left the party, Lily has been very quiet. She isn't crying, but Rufus can tell she is very close to it. He grabs her arm, furrowing his eyebrows when he hears her wince. Rufus pulls up the sleeve of her jacket, nibbling on the inside of his cheek when he sees a bruise on her wrist.

"Baby," He whispers, his voice tainted with worry. Lily looks down, refusing to meet his eyes.

"I shouldn't have let it happen again." She sniffs and jerks her head to look out the window as her eyes become glassy with tears. Rufus brings his wife towards him, letting her cry it out. He knew Lily would see it as her fault, as something she could have prevented when in actuality there was nothing to be done. She isn't physically strong enough to fight Jack and she did her best to draw attention to herself.

"Lil, there is nothing that you could have done, I am just glad you and the baby weren't hurt." He rakes his fingers through her disheveled hair. Lily nods against him and buries herself further into him.

"Rufus, what if he…?" Lily trails off, letting Rufus fill in the blank. Rufus instinctively wraps his arm around her tighter. Rufus isn't sure what to say, he doesn't want to think of the alternative.

Even though the limo is stopped in front of the apartment complex, Rufus signals to Isaac that they are going to need a moment. She sniffs, pulls away from her husband wipes her eyes. Rufus uses the pad of his thumb to flick a tumbling tear cascading from her eye.

"We should go upstairs," Lily whispers and reaches for the door handle, but Rufus stops her.

"We can go when you are ready." She puts her hand on his cheek and steps out of the limo. Rufus follows his wife, entwining their fingers as they make their way to the elevator. He knows that Lily is strong, but a person can only take so much. Something tells him that she hasn't completely process what just happened to her.

The couple step off the elevator and are greeted by Kim, Alex's nanny. Lily slips off her jacket and is careful not to show her bruise to Kim, she doesn't want to answer any questions about what happened to her.

"I'm going upstairs, thank you Kim for watching Alex." Lily tells their nanny with a smile.

"I'll be up in a minute Lil," Rufus tells her. Lily squeezes his shoulder and starts walking up the stairs.

"Is Mrs. Humphrey okay?" Kim asks with apprehension.

"Yeah, she is just tired," Rufus lies, although he can tell that Kim isn't buying it.

"Okay, well I'll see you later then." Rufus gives Kim some money and accompanies her to the elevator. He then slips off his tie as he is climbing up the stairs. The lights to the master bedroom are off and Rufus can't find his wife anywhere. However, he realizes that the door to Alex's room is open a crack. Rufus slips in, trying not to let anymore light seep through so Alex won't wake up. He crosses his arms over his chest, not saying anything while he watches Lily stroke Alex's cheek.

"I know you are there, I can hear you worrying," Lily whispers. Rufus closes the gap between them, placing his hands on her shoulders. She kisses Alex's temple and stands up, trailing behind her husband to their bedroom and then into the adjoining bathroom. "I need a shower."

"Okay," Rufus unzips her gown and lets her take it off. Lily flips off her heels, her bra and underwear. He gives her a kiss on the lips and turns to escape out of the bathroom, but Lily grabs his hand.

"Please stay," she admits quietly, staring down at the floor.

"Of course sweetheart," Rufus strips down as Lily turns on the shower, adjusting it to the appropriate temperature. They step into the running water. Rufus glides a loofa filled with body wash over every inch of her skin. He drops the loofa when he approaches her wrist, kissing it over the bruise. Lily takes in a shaky breath, willing herself not to cry. She doesn't want to cry anymore about what Jack tried to do to her. Lily is embarrassed enough that Jack has attempted to rape her twice. She shivers despite the hot water raining down on her. "Have you thought of any baby names?" He asks to distract her whilst caressing her rounded belly.

"No, but I am happy that I get to pick this time," Lily states and begins washing her husband's chest with the loofa. When she is done washing her husband, they step out of the shower, both reaching for their respective towels. A comfortable silence washes over them as they are changing into pajamas. They find each other in bed, meeting in the middle as always. Lily draws lazy circles on his arms and Rufus combs his fingers through her blonde strands.

"Hey Lil?"

"Hmmm?"

"It's okay not to be okay you know." She sighs against him and fiddles with the hem of his Lincoln Hawk tee.

"Thanks for being there Rufus, I love you."

"I love you too Lil, get some sleep." Rufus continues to sweep his fingertips over her flesh, hearing her breathing eventually even out. His wife is not okay, not in the slightest. Her stubborn resolve is going to collapse eventually and he has to make sure he is there when that happens.

It is the screaming that wakes him up. At first, Rufus thinks he has imagined it; his mind is still locked in his dreams. He throws the thought out of his head when he hears the sound again. _Alex, where is Alex? _Rufus thinks to himself, but his daughter would already be in here by now. He opens his eyes and sees his wife thrashing around in the darkness. Rufus fully wakes up and extends his arm to turn the bedside lamp on, bringing light into the room.

"Lily, honey, wake up," Rufus says and shakes her shoulder. Lily jerks awake and looks around, trying to reorient herself to where she is presently. "You okay?"

She shakes her head no and reaches for him, communicating to him that she isn't ready to talk about her nightmare just yet. Rufus receives the message and coils his arms around her. Lily can feel her throat tightening with tears, she wants to talk about her nightmare, but she knows that if she does, she will start to cry again.

"Jack…he…r-r-raped me and killed Alex…I couldn't…I couldn't stop him Rufus." Lily sobs, the events of what occurred now and all those years ago at the opera flooding into her mind.

"Ssh Lil, everything is fine now. You are here and Jack isn't going to hurt you again, I promise." They both didn't need to point out that he failed to protect her from Jack twice now, something that consumes Rufus with guilt.

"Mommy?" A tiny voice asks from the doorway. Lily doesn't even bother to try to pretend that she isn't crying, it's written all over her face.

"Come here my darling," Lily pats the bed and sees Alex hurry to climb up on the bed.

"Did you have a bad dweam mommy?" Alex asks, using her thumb to wipe away a tear from her mom's cheek. Rufus adoringly squeezes Lily's shoulder, showing his support.

"Yes, I did, but I'm better now." The toddler nods in understanding and sits on both her mother and father's lap.

"Were der monsters in your dweam?" Lily bites her lip, debating on how to answer her daughter's question.

"There were," Lily's voice cracks a little. Alex's cherub face crinkles with worry, she isn't used to seeing her mom like this; she has to do something to cheer her mom up.

"Daddy say monsters aren't real so dat's good mommy! I stay wif you till you fall back to sweep k?" Alex crawls under the covers and faces Lily. Rufus kisses Alex's forehead and his wife's lips before turning off the light. Lily feels Rufus sling his arm around her, bringing her as close to him as possible without squishing Alex. Eventually, she is able to fall back asleep without having any more nightmares.

The next afternoon, Rufus is throwing his favorite black leather jacket on, getting ready to leave. He hears the clicking of Lily's heels become louder and faster towards him. His eyebrows rise at the sight of his wife's attire. She is wearing a very conservative, bright pink dress with a white cardigan. Her hair is fastened in a pink bow he is pretty sure she stole from Alex's room.

"Uh Lil?" He asks as he sees her reaching for her pea coat.

"Yeah?" Lily slips on her coat and faces her husband.

"What are you doing?" She furrows her eyebrows in confusion.

"I thought I would come with you to the airport." Rufus flashes an adorable grin and leans over to kiss her.

"That's very sweet of you, but what's with your outfit?"

"I am trying to look cute and non-threatening. Is the bow in the hair too much?" Rufus laughs at her honesty and reaches to clasp her hand, bringing them to the elevator.

"I like the bow, you thief," Lily giggles and her cheeks flame.

"I asked Alex if I could borrow it. She said I could because I had a bad dream last night." Rufus loses his playful attitude at the mention of his wife's nightmare.

"Are you sure you are okay?" Lily tilts her head up to look at Rufus. She splashes her hand on his cheek,

"I am a lot better now; I just don't ever want to see him again." Rufus reflexively tightens his grip on her and kisses her temple.

"You won't, I will make sure of it." Lily only nods, she doesn't need to say that there is no way of knowing whether Jack will come back, they both are aware of it.

Isaac opens and closes the car door for them and starts driving the couple towards JFK. Lily can tell that her husband is extremely nervous by the way he keeps checking his phone for any unread messages. She isn't going to comment or tease him about it; she understands how stressful a parent visiting can be, especially when one parent doesn't like the other spouse. Lily can only hope that their kids don't feel like her and Rufus when they get older.

When the car rolls to a stop, Rufus jumps out and holds out his hand for his wife. They walk hand-in-hand to the correct terminal. Rufus' eyes slide over to Lily who is frowning slightly and locking his hand in a death grip. He stops walking, making his wife come to a halt as well.

"Hey," Rufus mumbles and coils his arms around her waist in the middle of the bustling airport. "I already told you that my mom isn't going to be nice, so don't worry about trying to impress her, okay?"

"I'm not trying to impress her; I just want everything to go as smoothly as possible while she is here."

"It won't, my mother makes CeCe look like a saint." Lily rolls her eyes at his remark about CeCe and presses on with her point.

"Maybe her visit will be a disaster, but I want to try to make this work for you."

"Stubborn woman," He mutters against her lips as her arms loop around his neck.

"That's why you married me."

"No, I married you because you have a lot of money." Lily lightly swats him on the arm.

"And I married you because of your giant d…" Rufus gives his wife a look, wondering where Lily is going with this.

"DVD collection, what did you think I was going to say?" Their lips unhinge and their fingers interlock once more, resuming their walk to meet Rufus' mother.

Very few people intimidate Lily Humphrey, she prides herself on that. However, as Donna Humphrey approaches them, Lily can't help but feel that apprehension deep in her gut. Donna is the stereotypical Florida retiree, a tiny, fragile woman wearing a floral long sleeve, khaki pants and black Velcro shoes. Her previous brunette hair is now slate gray and heavy wrinkles are etched into her face.

"Hi mom," Rufus brings his mom in for a hug while Lily stands back, letting mother and son have a moment. Donna narrows her eyes at Lily when Rufus lets her go. Lily clears her throat, not liking the way Rufus' mother is staring at her.

"Hi Mrs. Humphrey, it's very nice to see you." Lily says politely and offers her hand.

"Lily," Donna mutters coldly as she shakes her son's wife's hand. Donna is curious as to why Lily is acting so nice, the last time Donna saw her, Lily was breaking her son's heart.

"Do you have any bags that you need to get mom?"

"No, we can go." Rufus and Lily lead the way back to the car. Donna is hesitant to give Isaac her bag, but Rufus' assures his mom that the driver is taking them back to the penthouse.

"We aren't going back to the loft?" Donna asks out of curiosity.

"No mom, I told you I don't live there anymore. Lily and I thought we could move into her place."

"Now that we are married it's both of our places." Lily puts in. She finds it odd that even after five years he still considers it her place. Rufus wants to hit himself for the minor slip up in front of his mother; he is just giving her more ammo to attack Lily with. He brushes a kiss to Lily's temple while his mother stares out the window. Lily is wondering when Rufus is going to tell his mother that they are expecting another baby, she is just going to find out when Lily takes her jacket off anyway.

"Can we tell her?" Lily mumbles in her husband's ear. Rufus nods and squeezes his wife's hand.

"So mom, Lily and I wanted to tell you that we are having another baby, a boy." Donna Humphrey smiles, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"Congratulations, I am excited to have another grandchild." Lily bites back a sigh, she is really trying to extend an olive branch, but Rufus' mother isn't budging.

"Okay, so you can put your bags in Serena's room," Lily tells Donna when they arrive back at the penthouse. Donna follows Lily into Serena's old room, now the guest bedroom.

"Is this where you are going to put the nursery?"

"No, we are turning Rufus' office into the baby's room." Lily tells her husband's mom as they make their way back to the living room.

"Where is my son's stuff going to go?" Donna asks, a frown playing on her face.

"Storage," Lily says at the same time Rufus says "Eric's room". Husband and wife stare at each other, ignoring the satisfied look on Donna's face.

"We will talk later," Lily tells Rufus, they will have this conversation at another time, away from his mom. Rufus drapes his arm around her shoulders as Alex lazily makes her way down the stairs.

"Daddy," Alex mutters and uses her hands to wipe away tousled ringlets away from her face. Rufus scoops up Alex and sits back on the couch next to Lily. Alex turns her head and notices an old woman staring at her, indifferent to her presence. "Hi! I Alex! Who you?"

"This is my mom, Alex." Rufus tells his daughter. Alex stares at this new person, she is curious as to why there are so many people in her family that she hasn't met yet.

"Oh, mommy, is she my gamma too?" Alex asks Lily.

"Yes my darling." Alex waves at Rufus' mom who lightly smiles back.

"So, where are Dan and Jenny?" Donna asks Rufus. Lily tries not to get upset when Donna doesn't ask about Serena and Eric, but isn't really surprised.

"They are coming for dinner along with Serena and Eric." _ I love you Rufus, _Lily thinks to herself and beams at her husband for mentioning her kids to his mother.

"What are we having for dinner?" Donna asks Lily, the first question she has directly asked of her. Lily's cheeks flame, she was just assuming that they would all go out for dinner.

"Actually Lil…" Rufus starts, but Lily cuts him off.

"I'll see what we have in the kitchen." Lily heaves herself off the couch and disappears into the kitchen. Rufus sets Alex down on the floor to chat with his mother while he goes to talk to his wife. He chuckles when he sees Lily rummaging through the cabinets, a box of macaroni and cheese resting on the counter.

"Honey, you can't cook." Rufus states and crosses his arms. Lily sighs in defeat,

"I know, but your mother doesn't know that. Plus, it couldn't be that hard to follow a recipe right?" Lily reaches for a cookbook and starts to flip through it. Rufus stifles his laughter, his wife has burnt pancakes and under cooked a waffle, but she still attempts to cook and he loves her for it.

Out in the living room, Donna is staring at Alex who resembles Lily very closely. The toddler is munching on some crackers and playing with her stuffed polar bear.

"Gamma, do you like Beary?" Alex asks, holding up her polar bear so her new grandmother can see.

"It's very cute Alex. Are you excited for your new brother?" The three-year-old shrugs,

"Boys are okay, mommy say I help name da baby so dats good."

"What's your mom making for dinner?" Alex laughs and shakes her head,

"Daddy say dat mommy can't cook!" Donna raises her eyebrows, but decides not to comment on her granddaughter's remark. She is curious as to why Lily is pretending to cook when she can't. Instead of confronting her daughter in law about lying, Donna is going to wait to see what dinner tastes like.

"How about this one Lil? It seems easy enough." Rufus slides the cookbook down the counter so his wife can see it. Lily laughs at his selection which is spaghetti and meatballs.

"I am sure I can figure something out," Lily says and loops her arms around his torso. "Why don't you take Alex and your mother and go to Brooklyn?" She brushes a kiss to his lips. "You can take them to the loft and the gallery…" The end of her sentence is swallowed by his lips colliding with hers.

"Why don't you come with us?" He asks, his hands gliding up and down her sides. She shakes her head and her arms move to coil around his neck.

"I would love to, but I have to attempt to cook and then take a nap." He laughs, but frowns when he sees the sleeve of her cardigan riding up, exposing her bruise. Lily can sense the shift in his mood and tracks his eyes to her wrist, his eyes pooling with concern.

"I am going to ask one more time and then leave it alone. Are you sure you aren't in any pain?" His hands move from her back to her swollen stomach, skimming his hand over it briefly. Lily nods and pulls her sleeve up before wrapping her arms around her husband's neck again.

"Yes darling, my wrist hurts a little, but I feel fine. Now go, let me pretend to cook in peace," Lily jokingly pushes him back into the living room. Alex is telling her grandma about her friend Tyler when Rufus sits back on the couch.

"Hey daddy, I tell gamma bout Tywer. He my fwiend gamma, not my boyfwiend," The toddler informs her new grandmother.

"Oh, well that's good to know."

"So mom, I was thinking we could go to Brooklyn for a little bit?" Rufus proposes and picks up Alex.

"Sure, is Lily coming with us?"

"No, she is going to sleep for a little bit before dinner." Donna nods and grabs her purse. Rufus is surprised that his mother didn't have anything to say about his wife not coming with them. He really thinks he should speak to his mother about her obvious disdain for Lily, but he doesn't want to mention anything in front of Alex. It bothers him because his wife is obviously trying and his mother just doesn't seem to care. His mother can at least attempt to be civil to his wife who doesn't need to be put under that kind of stress.

As soon as Lily sends Rufus, his mother and Alex off in the elevator she lunges towards her cell phone and dials a chef she hasn't used since she has been with Rufus.

"Hi, are you free to make dinner for my family tonight?" Lily asks the chef. She could have had Rufus make something or she could make something simple, but her pride kicks in. Hopefully, their kids will go along with a meal Lily clearly didn't make so Rufus' mother isn't suspicious.

In Brooklyn, Rufus realizes that his mother seems a lot more like herself. She is laughing and carrying Alex around the gallery. Rufus has to guess that his mother feels more comfortable here than in the Upper East Side, a feeling that he can definitely relate to. He still struggles with assimilating into the society his wife grew up in even though they have been married for over five years.

Donna discovers that her granddaughter's personality resembles her son rather than her daughter-in-law.

"Mom, do you want to go to the loft? We have to pick up Dan and Jenny." Rufus tells his mother, confused as to why she is staring intensely at Alex.

"Uh…yeah sure, let's go." Donna follows Rufus out into the street.

Lily and the chef pick out a recipe that could be passed off as something she made herself. She pays the chef to go to the grocery store to pick up a few things while she heads upstairs to take a nap. However, sleep evades her. All Lily can think about is the events of the past few days, from Jack's attempted assault to the difficulty of attempting to forge a relationship with Rufus' mother. It's frustrating because her mother-in-law is still holding onto that anger towards Lily for leaving Rufus. That happened over twenty five years ago and Lily is trying to prove that the circumstances then shouldn't affect her marriage to Rufus now. Maybe Rufus can help them forge some sort of positive relationship before his mother leaves.

"Dan, Jenny, we are here," Rufus yells as he swings open the door to the loft. Alex squirms out of her dad's arms to go searching for her siblings.

"Are they here?" Donna asks her son. They both hear Alex giggle and Dan comes out of his room with Jenny holding Alex upside down.

"Put me down!" Alex insists and swings her tiny fists in the air. Dan complies, setting Alex on the floor while Jenny goes over to hug her grandmother. Dan follows suit and Rufus is annoyed by how warm and receptive his mother is to Dan and Jenny, but not to Alex. So what if Alex is Lily's daughter? She is still one of her grandchildren and should be treated equally.

"So, what's the plan dad?" Dan asks.

"We are going back to the penthouse because Lily is cooking everyone dinner." Rufus says, watching the shocked expressions on both of his children's faces.

"Wait, _Lily _is cooking us dinner?" Dan asks in pure astonishment. Donna smirks and turns towards her son.

"Why is everyone surprised that your wife is cooking dinner Rufus?"

"Cause mommy…" Rufus clamps his hand over Alex's mouth.

"Lily hasn't been cooking much since she has become pregnant. Let's go," Rufus ushers everyone towards the door.

Dan and Jenny shoot each other confused glances from behind their father's back. There is no reason to lie about Lily cooking since everyone teases her for not being able to.

Eric and Serena arrive at the penthouse, absolutely astounded to see their mother cocooned around a pot on the stove.

"Mom…uh…what are you doing?" Eric asks. Serena is too busy taking in Lily's strange outfit, a dark red dress with navy and white polka dots scattered on it. Lily is also wearing a matching navy cardigan and her hair is half pulled up, loose curls collecting at her shoulders.

"Cooking…I think," Lily says with a shrug of her shoulders and stirs whatever is in the pot.

"Why are you cooking and what are you wearing?" Serena asks bluntly.

"Rufus mother is in town and she thinks I can cook. We have a…complicated past." Lily explains to her kids and curses when something beeps in the oven. "Can one of you get that for me?" Eric rolls his eyes and maneuvers around Lily to grab the garlic bread out of the oven.

"Mom, it's burnt," Eric comments and shows her the charred remains of the garlic bread. Lily heavily sighs and tosses the bread into the garbage.

"So, what's with this whole charade? Why are we putting on a show for Rufus' mom?" Serena probes and goes into the fridge to offer dinner rolls as an alternative.

"I am doing this for Rufus because I love him and would appreciate the support. His mother and I don't get along because of something that happened twenty five years ago."

"You mean, when you left Rufus for dad right?" Serena asks. Lily groans and takes the pot over to the sink to drain the water.

"Serena, could we not get into this right now? I just…it was a decision I made that I regret even now." Serena can see how stressed Lily is and how much she is trying for her husband, something her and Eric have never seen before.

"What do you need me to do?" Serena asks her mother, feeling better when relief floods Lily's face.

"Um…set the table. E, can you watch those dinner rolls? They don't really go with spaghetti, but I really don't care." Eric and Serena laugh at the sight of their mother attempting to put together a meal. They are used to the mother who either wasn't home for dinner or took them out as kids. Lily isn't a housewife by any means, the role never felt comfortable for her. However, if she is willing to try for Rufus, Eric and Serena aren't going to object. They would rather sit back and watch their mother fumble through making dinner, pretending that cooking is an effortless skill that she has acquired.

The elevator doors ding open and Lily freezes. She can hear Jenny and Alex giggling about something. Dan, Rufus and his mother are behind them, chatting about Dan's classes. Dan and Jenny's eyes widen at Lily's outfit while Rufus goes over to give his wife a peck on the lips.

"Dinner is almost ready," Lily says and feels Rufus wrap his arms around her from behind.

"Where is the garlic bread I bought?" He asks, his breath bouncing against her neck.

"In the garbage, I burnt it." Lily says nonchalantly. "We are having dinner rolls instead!" Rufus laughs and opens the oven door to check on the progress of the dinner rolls.

"Do you have any idea what is going on here?" Dan asks Serena once he locates her in the dining room, setting the table.

"No, but I have a feeling it's not going to be boring." Serena tosses a napkin at her step-brother and laughs.

"It never is with this family." Dan comments and helps Serena set the table.

**A/N** **2: Oh, I am so not done yet! Next chapter, the family sits down for dinner which doesn't go well at all. Thanks for reading and being so patient with me! Please leave a review on the way out.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you for all of your amazing comments, I appreciate them so much! Sorry, I know this chapter is up later than I promised, but I have been really busy. I am going to put an M rating on this chapter, but it's not too bad. I hope you enjoy chapter seven!**

**Chapter Seven**

"Oh my god, this dinner is pathetic," Lily comments to her husband who is constantly checking on the progress of her dinner rolls so they don't become his wife's next casualty. Rufus laughs into his hand and looks over at her pouring her finished pasta into a large dish. He notices her trying to conceal a disappointed expression and walks over to her, coiling his arms around her waist.

"It's okay; it's the thought that counts." Lily twirls in his arms and rakes her fingers through his chocolate hair.

"You promise to eat my food no matter what?" Rufus bites his lip and Lily tips her head down, laughing against his shoulder.

"I didn't say that," Their conversation is interrupted by the oven beeping. Rufus steps towards the appliance, but Lily quickly maneuvers in front of him. He furrows his brows, but doesn't move. He wants to see his wife actually take something out of the oven, a first in their marriage.

"I got this," Lily assures him and slides oven mitts onto both hands. She carefully opens the door, extracts the dinner rolls and lets the door slam shut.

"Is dinner almost ready Lily?" Rufus' mom asks when she pops her head into the kitchen. Lily swings around to block the food, not wanting her mother-in-law to see how little she made.

"Uh huh, everyone can sit down now." Donna tries to glance around Lily, but she can't see anything. Instead Donna nods her head and goes back into the living room to grab up Alex.

"I have always wondered what spaghetti and dinner rolls tasted like together," Rufus offers. Lily flashes her trademark 'you're wonderful' smiles at her husband and brushes a kiss to his lips. Lily takes the spaghetti and Rufus has the dinner rolls to bring to the dining room table. Eric is sitting at an end of the table, Jenny and Donna are on one side, and Serena and Dan are on the other. Rufus and Lily take their usual spots next to each other with Alex sitting in her booster seat in between them.

"Well…um…dig in…" Lily says with a convincing smile. Serena is the first to grab the plate of spaghetti, spooning a heap onto her plate.

"I am taking one for the team guys," Serena whispers to Dan as she passes the plate to him. Everybody ends up with a tiny amount of spaghetti and a single dinner roll. However, nobody has actually tasted the food yet, everyone is still stalling. Eric takes a bite and tries not to spit it into his napkin. Instead, he laughs, which causes the family to stare at him, waiting for an explanation.

"Is something wrong my darling?" Lily asks, although she is pretty sure he is laughing at her expense. When Rufus is sure his wife isn't looking, he coughs his bite of spaghetti into his napkin.

"I'm sorry mom, but this is terrible," Eric admits. Soon, all of the kids and even Rufus are laughing, their plates of cold spaghetti tossed aside. Lily giggles and tries a bite of her spaghetti, scrunching her face in disgust.

"Who wants to go out for dinner?" She asks the family. Rufus stamps a kiss to Lily's temple; he is thrilled that his wife agreed that her cooking isn't up to anyone's usual standards. He finds it hilarious that no matter what Lily makes, it just turns out terribly. However, his amused demeanor fades when he looks over at his mother who doesn't find this failed dinner funny at all.

"You lied to me about your cooking, didn't you Lily?" Donna asks her daughter-in-law. An ashamed expression washes over Lily's face and she stares down at her failed attempt to impress her mother-in-law.

"I did, obviously I can't cook, but I tried." Lily isn't going to give Rufus' mother the satisfaction of an apology. Donna has been nothing but cold and distant towards her when Lily has gone out of her way to make her mother-in-law feel welcome in her home.

"I told ya gamma, mommy can't cook!" Alex exclaims. Lily and Rufus glance over at their daughter, wondering when she had the chance to inform Donna about Lily's lack of culinary skills.

"Rufus, can I talk to you for a second?" Donna asks her son. Rufus' eyes flicker over to his mother and then Lily. Lily nibbles on the inside of her cheek and backs out of her chair.

"I am going to run upstairs real quick," She doesn't want Rufus to have to feel like he has to choose between her and his mom, that wouldn't be fair.

"Lil," Rufus reaches out to snag her hand. She spreads her hand across his cheek and presses a kiss to his lips, communicating to him that she isn't upset with him. The kids, even Alex, have remained mostly silent during this exchange, mostly talking quietly amongst themselves. Rufus tracks Lily's movements until she vanishes upstairs.

"What's wrong dad?" Jenny asks her father, noticing the tension in the air.

"Kids, could you give us a minute?" Rufus asks his and Lily's kids.

"Sure," Serena unbuckles Alex from the booster seat and starts walking upstairs with her half sister in her arms.

"I show you all my toys k, Sewena?" Alex tells her sister, seemingly to be unaware of the issues between her mother and her grandmother.

"Eric?" Rufus grabs his stepson's arm, gently pulling him back to the table.

"What?"

"Could you check on your mother? I'll be upstairs in a minute so we can go." Eric nods, appreciative of Rufus' clear concern about Lily. At the same time, he is perplexed by current family situation playing out before him.

Rufus is worried about his wife; it's not usually in her personality to give up so easily. He is more familiar with the stubborn woman who is willing to fight for what she wants, but this time seems different. Maybe he is reading too far into her walking away, he hopes that she just wanted to give he and his mother a chance to talk. He will have to touch base with her when they get a moment alone.

Alex immediately forces her older siblings to have a tea party with her and a few select stuffed animals. Dan, Jenny, Eric and Serena are more interested in the odd family dynamic occurring between their parents and Rufus' mother then playing with their younger half sister.

"Did anybody else detect the awkwardness during Lily's awfully made dinner?" Dan asks his siblings. Eric and Jenny give him a "duh" look while Serena's eyes slide away from his gaze. "You know something don't you Serena?" A rosy hue flourishes on Serena's cheeks.

"What do you know Serena?" Jenny asks with her arms crossed.

"Well…I don't want to give too much away. All I can tell you is your grandmother hates my mom for something that happened before we were all born." Serena doesn't want to betray her mom's trust, but feels the need to clue her siblings in a bit.

"I am guessing this had something to do with your mom leaving my dad for your dad." Dan shakes his head, "God, this family is so complicated."

"Alex, what do you think about all of this?" Jenny asks her half-sister for fun. The three-year-old shrugs her tiny shoulders,

"I don't know, wanna pway wif me Jenny?" Alex hands her stuffed frog over to her older half-sister and yells at Dan to pay attention to her.

Lily is pacing around her bedroom. She wants to give her husband and mother-in-law time to chat, but a huge part of her is curious as to how their conversation is going. The kids came upstairs and vanished into Alex's room. If she wants to sneak downstairs, now would be the time. She bites her lip as she weighs her options. Lily faked an excuse to allow her husband and mother-in-law time to talk, would it be wrong to accidentally overhear a piece of their conversation? She slips off her heels and quietly tip-toes toward the dining room, a little embarrassed to be snooping in her own home.

"…Rufus, I don't understand why you put up with her, you deserve someone better." Donna says to her son.

"Mom, Lily was only trying to cook dinner for the family, which is something that she never does." A smirk locks into place on Lily's lips; she is thrilled that her husband is defending her.

"She lied! If she couldn't cook, why didn't she just say so?"

"Maybe it's because she feels like she had to impress you because you haven't exactly been nice to her since you got here." There is a gap in conversation and Lily sucks in a breath, hoping that she didn't just get caught.

"Rufus, you know I have a valid reason for not being the friendliest person to Lily. I can't believe that you are still with her after all that she has done to you and your kids." Lily flinches at the comment and waits for her husband's response.

"Lily and I have both screwed up in our relationship, but we have worked through it and we love each other very much." Rufus is so tired of defending his marriage with Lily to his mother, something that he has been doing since they rekindled their relationship a few years ago.

"That's not the point Rufus; I understand that you love her. All I am saying is that she grew up in a different world than you and I know that has caused her to walk away from your relationship in the past. Do you really think she has changed that much?" Lily doesn't wait for Rufus' answer; she turns on her heels and briskly walks upstairs. She hates that Rufus' mom is questioning their marriage; Lily does that enough on her own. Obviously she and Rufus are completely different people. And of course that has caused many arguments in their relationship. However, what happens if Rufus decides to actually listen to his mother this time? What if he gives up on fighting for them?

Downstairs, Rufus is done with this conversation. His mother isn't going to listen to his reasoning and he doesn't have to make a case for his wife to her. It's his life and he didn't ask his mother to come here, she came on her own free will.

"You know what mom? I love Lily and we are very happy together. I want you to be here for the kids, but you have to be nicer to Lily. I am going to talk to _my wife_ and then we can go." Rufus leaves his mom at the table to search for his spouse. He is pretty sure that they need to talk.

"Hey Rufus, my mom is in your room," Eric says when he sees Rufus walk by. Rufus stops and hovers in the doorway, crossing his arms as he leans against the doorframe.

"Hey Daddy! Do you wanna pway too?" Alex asks, tugging on her father's hand.

"No Al, I have to talk to mommy. Can you go downstairs and get your coat on? We are leaving for dinner soon." Alex nods and waves to her older siblings.

"Yeah, I really hungy daddy so hurry up pwease." Alex, Serena, Jenny, Eric and Dan walk downstairs to get their stuff together while Rufus goes into the master bedroom, finding Lily in their walk in closet.

"Hey Lil, what are you doing?" Lily turns and shrugs off her navy cardigan, reaching for a long sleeve ivory robe instead.

"I was thinking of taking a shower, but you guys can still go to dinner." Lily's remark only confirms Rufus' theory about her overhearing his tumultuous conversation downstairs with his mom. Rufus strolls across the closet, clasping both of her hands.

"Come here, I think we should talk." Lily reluctantly follows her husband to the foot of their bed, sitting on his lap.

"Rufus, I am fine, I just don't feel good." She lies, resting a hand on her expanded stomach for emphasis. Rufus gives his wife a look only reserved for her, obviously not believing in her excuse.

"How much of my conversation with my mother did you hear?" Lily bends her head down, her eyes boring into her knee.

"Enough to realize that she hates me, but she also might be right." Rufus slips his bended knuckle under her chin to tilt her head up.

"What do you mean?"

"What if one day we can't find a compromise that works for us? What if you wake up and realize that I have become too much like my mother and you can't be married to me anymore?" Her eyes become cloudy with tears at just the thought of her marriage to Rufus disintegrating. Rufus soothingly rubs her back and rests his nose against her cheek, then stamps a kiss on her skin.

"Lil, I promised you that I wouldn't give up on us and I meant it."

"I know, but Rufus, I have done some terrible things to you and I can't promise that I won't do horrible things to you in the future. There has got to be a point where you walk away, don't you think?" Rufus takes a second to process what she is telling him and shakes his head.

"Lily, honestly I don't know, but we will figure it out like we always do. I think the only thing that can hurt us is if we aren't being honest with each other." Lily grins and drops her head on his shoulder.

"You're right Humphrey," Lily whispers. Rufus' eyes widen in feigned astonishment.

"I'm sorry Lil, what was that? Did you just say I was right?" Lily moves so she is eye-to-eye with her husband, her mouth splitting open.

"Yes I did, so enjoy it while it lasts." He adorably grins and rests his forehead against hers. She meshes their lips together, starting out slow. He ups the ante by slipping his tongue into her mouth. She smugly smiles against his lips as their tongues duel for control. He moans in her mouth while she blindly drapes her arms around his neck. They are so wrapped up in each other that they don't notice Alex scampering into the room.

"EW, mommy and daddy stop kissin! Dat's gwoss. We hafta go now to eat!" Rufus and Lily separate from each other, both amused by the disgusted expression on their three-year-olds face.

"Alex, tell everyone that we will be downstairs in a minute okay?" Rufus speaks for him and his wife. Lily is too embarrassed that their daughter caught her and Rufus making out like teenagers.

"Alrighty daddy, I tell dem but I really hungy!" Alex glares at her parents and walks out. Lily laughs which makes Rufus snicker too.

"I guess we should go…" Lily stands up and starts walking towards the door. Rufus gets to his feet and hooks his arm around his wife's waist, pulling her back into their bedroom. "Rufus, stop, everyone is waiting on us."

"I know, but do you really want to wear your bath robe to dinner?" He tugs on the plush fabric and smirks at her.

"Oh, right, hold on," Lily blushes and exchanges her robe for the cardigan she was wearing earlier. "Okay, now I'm ready." She accepts her husband's hand, giggling slightly at her fashion faux pa.

"Hey Lil, this dinner might not go the way you want it to, but you tried, okay?" He gently reminds her not to get her hopes up. Lily nods and splashes both hands on his cheeks, kissing him swiftly before leading the way down the stairs. Their kids and Rufus' mother are waiting in the living room already wearing their coats and looking irritated about the delay.

"Are you two about done?" Serena asks with annoyance and amusement laced in her tone.

"Serena!" Lily snaps, embarrassed at her daughter's behavior. Rufus, Dan and Eric cover their mouths so Lily won't see them smile. Donna couldn't be less excited about going out to dinner with her son and his family. A huge part of her regrets even coming up to New York, it isn't going as she planned. Of course she wouldn't admit this to her son, but the reason she decided to visit him was to convince him to divorce Lily. It's clear to her that Rufus is deeply in love with Lily and has no plan of leaving her anytime soon. Lily nudges Rufus in the ribs and grabs their coats.

"What? Alex told us what you were doing upstairs." Serena scoops up her younger half sister and flips her golden hair over her shoulder. Serena whispers something in Alex's ear and turns around to smirk at her mother and step-father.

"No more makin out mommy and daddy!" Alex exclaims over Serena's shoulder. Rufus and Lily's jaw drop at their three year olds remark. They can hear Alex ask Serena about what she just said to her parents. The kids, along with Rufus' mother, cram into the next available elevator.

"I can't believe she just said that." Lily turns to Rufus who shrugs in pure shock as they try to catch the next elevator. "Why are we having another kid again? We have so many already." Rufus laughs while they step onto the elevator and leans forward to stamp the lobby button.

"You were the one who jumped me in the elevator." Lily eyes slide over to Rufus, an impish grin blossoming on her lips. Rufus jokingly moves away from her, chuckling when she playfully swats at him.

"I don't remember ever doing that."

"Lily, you are in denial."

"Rufus, I was drunk." The elevator doors ding open and the couple steps off, laughing at their own private conversation. Rufus rests his hand on the small of his wife's back as they approach their family. Alex, Jenny, Lily and Rufus get into a town car so Alex can be fastened into her car seat. Serena, Dan, Eric and Rufus' mom climb into a cab.

Dinner starts off as awkward, nobody is willing to make any kind of fluid conversation except for Alex. Rufus is still slightly irritated with his mother for their conversation about Lily. He understands that there is a bit of bitter history between the three of them, but it's in the past. If anyone has the right to be angry about the situation, it's Rufus because it's what Lily did to _him. _Rufus has been able to forgive Lily and move forward in their relationship so his mother should stop holding a grudge against his wife.

"Did your grandma ever act this way towards your mom?" Serena whispers over to Dan. Dan shakes his head,

"No, they got along great."

The waiter comes around to collect food orders and then table falls into an uncomfortable silence once more. Lily sighs and puts her elbows on the table, making her cardigan slide on her arms a bit, exposing the bruise on her wrist. Donna discovers the mark and furrows her eyebrows.

"Lily, what's with the bruise?" Rufus' mom asks her daughter-in-law. Rufus puts his hand on his wife's back, rubbing soothing circles with his fingers. Lily pulls her cardigan up so the purple bruise is covered again. The kids stop chatting to hear her response, each wondering why they haven't noticed the mark before. Lily clears her throat and her eyes flicker over to her husband for a second before meeting her mother-in-law's gaze.

"Uh…Jack Bass…attacked me last night at a party…" Lily explains. Serena, Dan, Eric and Jenny's eyes widen, they didn't know that was the reason Lily and Rufus left so abruptly last night. They just assumed that Lily was tired or the babysitter had an emergency, the older kids feel terrible for not asking about their hasty exit from the party. Donna, however, is less sympathetic towards Lily.

"Again?" Dan asks, his fist clenching under the table.

"We can talk about that later," Rufus says to his son, not wanting his wife to answer any more questions about what happened to her last night. He is guessing that Lily would rather just move on and not have to think about Jack. Donna, however, wants Lily to elaborate on the incident at Chuck's event yesterday.

"Jack, isn't that your son Chuck's uncle?" Lily nods, which prompts Donna to continue, "I always knew those Bass men were disgusting. I mean, just look at what Chuck did to Jenny." Everyone at the table, sans Alex, freezes after Donna's comment. Lily shoots Donna her trademark pissed off look; hand on the forehead, lips pursed. Rufus realizes that his wife has had about enough of his mom's attitude, especially after Donna just attacked one of her children. He puts his hand on her knee, signaling to her that he has this under control.

"Mom, Chuck has made some mistakes in the past and I can't believe I am defending him right now, but he was there for Lily when I wasn't. I would appreciate it if you showed him a little respect."

Alex has no idea what her father just said, but feels like she needs to put in her two cents about Chuck Bass.

"Hey gamma, Chuck my favwite! He so nice and pwetty." Lily is so grateful to Rufus for what he said about Chuck, their relationship has been strained in the past, but they seem to be connecting better now.

"Did my dad just defend Chuck Bass?" Jenny asks in shock, looking to Eric, Serena and Jenny for confirmation.

"This has been a strange night," Serena comments and Eric and Jenny nod in agreement.

"Does this mean that I have to start being nice to him now?" Dan jokes.

"I think Chuck would be freaked out if he knew that Rufus was defending him," Eric whispers.

"Yeah, that would only cause him to drink more heavily and bring home twice the amount of women." Serena teases, even though she loves Chuck like her biological brother.

"I am glad that you and Chuck are on better terms Rufus, I am sure that means a lot to you, Lily." Donna says that with a forced, pinched, smile.

"It does," Lily rubs her husband's upper arm and grins at him. Rufus presses a kiss to her cheek as the check is being set in front of them. Rufus pays the check and the family is more than ready to disperse, having enough drama to last for the time being.

Serena goes back to Blair's, Jenny, Eric and Dan suggests going back to the loft. Surprisingly, Donna wants to go back to Brooklyn with her grandkids.

"Sure mom, are you going to stay there?" Rufus asks while Lily helps Alex get bundled up.

"No, I will come back. I'll see you later," Donna waves and follows the three kids who are leaving. Alex notices this and turns as Lily is trying to zip up her coat.

"Mommy, why gamma goin?"

"She wanted to spend some time with Dan and Jenny at the loft."

"Can we go too mommy?" Alex asks, her eyes shimmering with hope.

"No sweetie, you have to go to bed. We will see grandma in the morning." Rufus snags his wife's hand and scoops Alex off the ground.

"Okay daddy, we watch movie when we get home k?" Alex tells her father, shooting him a disarming grin.

"She is your daughter," Rufus whispers to Lily over Alex's head.

"I have taught my kids well," Lily opens the car door for Rufus so he can strap Alex into her car seat. Rufus and Lily slide in next to each other and the town car starts heading back to the penthouse.

"That dinner didn't go the way I wanted it to," Lily pouts and drops her head on Rufus' shoulder. Rufus rakes his hands through her golden strands as he considers an adequate response to soothe his wife.

"I know honey, but I don't think anything is going to change regarding my mother. Alex, how do you think our dinner with your grandma went?" He is curious as to how their toddler perceived their disastrous family dinner. Alex taps her chin and gives an answer in her usual blunt way.

"I pfink gamma don't like mommy and Chuck, but I wuv mommy and Chuck so dat's good." Lily beams at her daughter; Alex always can make her smile.

"I love you too baby." Lily leans over to over-exaggeratedly kiss Alex's cheek, making Alex giggle. Suddenly, Alex's eyes widen, a new idea has sparked in her mind.

"Mommy I know how to make you happy! We get ice cweam!" Rufus stifles a laugh at his daughter's attempt to make his wife feel better.

"Al, I don't think…" The three-year-old cuts her father off,

"Daddy, dis 'bout mommy. Mommy, do you want ice cweam? Don't wisten to daddy," Lily giggles and shakes her head.

"No, not tonight Alex, I am really tired." Alex nods,

"K, I put you to bed and den me and daddy get ice cweam. I get some for you too mommy." Rufus chuckles at his daughter's need for ice cream and steps in before Alex tries another end around to acquire the desert.

"How about we get ice cream tomorrow with grandma?"

"Okay daddy, you pwomise?" Alex concedes defeat with a yawn.

"Of course Al, I promise we can get ice cream tomorrow." Rufus promises, holding out his pinky for Alex.

When they get back to the penthouse, Rufus suggests that Lily puts Alex to bed. Lily quirks an eyebrow at her husband, he always enjoys putting their daughter to bed. Rufus whispers something in Alex's ear and kisses her goodnight. He closes Alex's door behind him and leaves Lily alone with their daughter.

"What did daddy just tell you?" Lily asks, trying her best to maintain a stern expression. Alex is unmoved by her mom and climbs into bed.

"I not tell you cause daddy say so." Alex sticks her tongue out at Lily. Lily pinches Alex's cheek and grabs a book to read to her daughter. After Alex is asleep, Lily goes to search for her husband.

"Rufus, where are you?" She asks as she steps into their bedroom.

"In here Lil," He calls back from the bathroom. She swings open the bathroom door, impressed by what she sees. The bathtub is filled to the brim with bubbles and the lights are dimmed. Rufus is dressed in his bath robe with a cheeky grin adorning his lips. "I thought we could relax together," He whispers in her ear, his arms coiling around her waist. Lily twirls in his arms and loops her arms around his neck, pressing a kiss to her lips.

"Hmmm…how romantic, I am impressed." She teases and nuzzles noses with Rufus as he starts undressing her.

"Haven't I told you before that I am the romantic one in our relationship?" He asks, as he unzips her dress. Lily gathers her hair to her side, allowing him better access.

"Yeah, but I used to be the spontaneous one. Is that a bad thing that I'm not anymore?" Rufus shakes his head as Lily steps away from him, letting the dress pool at the tile floor. She slips off her bra and underwear while her husband steps into the tub first. He holds his arms out for her, letting her situate herself before wrapping his arms around her, sweeping a kiss over her blonde tendrils.

"Lil, I was teasing. We can't be as wild and spontaneous as we used to be. We have a toddler and you are pregnant, trust me, I am fine with how the way things are." He tightens his grip on her as she turns her head to look at him. Rufus realizes that the only reason she is questioning them more than usual is because of his mother. Lily is always going to have her doubts and insecurities about them behind closed doors; it's just an issue they have to work through together rather than her doing something that will break them apart.

"Are you sure?" Rufus presses a kiss to her cheek,

"Yeah, after my mother leaves and we have the baby, we can do something unexpected, just the two of us." This time, Lily is the one brushing a kiss to her husband's lips.

"Oh, speaking of your mother, did you mean what you said about Charles or did you want to prevent me from committing homicide at the dinner table?" Rufus laughs at her phrasing of the question, but maintains a somewhat serious expression.

"Honestly Lil, I am still conflicted about Chuck. I appreciate what he did last night and I have forgiven him for the whole Jenny incident. However, I have seen him disappoint you a lot and then I get frustrated with him again." Lily nods against his chest; she can sympathize with the way her husband is feeling; she has felt the same about her adopted son from time to time.

"Thank you Rufus for trying, I know it hasn't been easy for you." He tips his head down to scrape his teeth across her bare shoulder. Lily shivers and slowly twists to face her husband, laughing at their entangled limbs. They hear the elevator doors ding open downstairs and Lily sighs against Rufus' skin.

"Damn it," Rufus comments and starts to get out of the tub, reaching for a towel. Lily frowns; their moment has been officially ruined.

"Rufus!" Donna calls from the living room as she tosses her purse on the couch.

"Do all the people in your family have bad timing?" Lily asks while Rufus is helping her out of the tub, securely wrapping her in a towel.

"At least my family is on time for everything, unlike yours." Rufus teases her as they transition into their closet. Donna knocks on their bedroom door, not wanting to wake up Alex by yelling again. "Hold on mom." He slips on a pair of boxers while Lily quickly throws a nightgown over her head. Rufus swings open the door, purposely blocking it so his mother won't see Lily getting dressed.

"Rufus, did I interrupt something?" Donna asks, glaring at her son for making her wait.

"No mom, Lil and I were just taking a bath. How was spending time in Brooklyn with the kids?"

"It was fun, I am going to bed. I'll see you in the morning," Rufus hugs his mom goodnight and lightly closes the door. He approaches his wife who is swinging her legs on the bed. Putting his hands on her shoulders, he leans down and stamps a kiss to her lips.

"Hmmm…you smell so good, wanna have a quickie?" Rufus whispers, flashing a crooked half smile.

"Rufus! Your mother is downstairs, there is no way I am having sex with you." He jokingly juts his lip out, although he knows that his wife's decision is unwavering.

"Fine," Rufus climbs in on his side of the bed and crosses his arms over his chest. Lily turns to grab her reading glasses sitting on the nightstand. She grabs her book and adjusts her glasses on her nose. Rufus still hasn't spoken a word, the scowl is still there.

"Rufus, are you pouting?" She asks, glancing up at him over her reading glasses.

"No," He says, huffing. Lily laughs at him while rolling her eyes and tosses her book aside. She grabs his hand and puts it on her chest. "You are the best wife ever."

"I know, I know," Lily chuckles against his lips. He gently squeezes both of her breasts and retreats. They get under the covers and Rufus wraps his arm around her. She cuddles closer to him,

"Your mom leaves the day after tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah and I can't wait," Rufus admits and gets up to slip on a gray t-shirt and flannel pajama pants. Lily is surprised by her husband's honesty, but is glad that they are on the same page. He climbs back into bed and skates his hand her nightgown, resting on her swollen abdomen. He skims his thumb over her the stretched out skin below her navel. Lily sighs into him, letting the rugged smell of his body wash invade her senses.

"I love you," She whispers against his skin, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"I love you too honey, get some sleep so we can kick my mom out soon." She reaches her hand up to high five Rufus,

"Sounds like a plan my darling."

At around three in the morning, Lily wakes up from her dreams and gazes up at the ceiling as she rests on her back. Rufus is lying next to her on his side, his hand spread underneath her nightgown and on her abdomen, his light snoring the only sound stemming from their bedroom. Tracing the outline of his jaw with her eyes, Lily moves her hand on top of Rufus', squeezing it lightly so he won't wake up.

After slipping a soft, terrycloth robe over her, Lily pads downstairs to the kitchen, not bothering to turn on any of the lights, having lived in the penthouse for so long there is no need. Reaching inside the fridge, Lily is startled by a distinguishable voice in the darkness.

"Lily," Donna Humphrey says her voice peppered with disdain. Lily closes the door and reaches into the cabinet to grab a glass.

"Donna," Lily doesn't even try to pretend to be nice to her husband's mother anymore, if they have to hash out their relationship at three in the morning, then so be it, Lily is more than willing to. She pours herself a glass of apple juice while Rufus' mom leans on the counter and fiddles with her tea.

"I think we should talk about your relationship with my son." Lily bites the inside of her cheek, having been utterly caught off guard by her mother-in-law's comment. Only then does Lily realize who her husband received his need for openness from. In Lily's family, it is common for everything to be swept under the rug to keep a scandal from breaking out.

"Despite what you might think, I love your son very much, but that's a problem for you isn't it?"

"I have seen you in love with him before and then you broke his heart. He was devastated after you left."

"That was when we were nineteen, I was young and I had no idea what I was doing, but it's different now." Donna puts her hands on her hips, not believing in what her daughter-in-law is telling her.

"If you love my son so much why do you constantly do things to him that could break you two apart?" Lily takes a long sip of her juice while formulating an answer.

"I-I don't really know. I have been married four times before I married Rufus and I didn't love them like I love your son. This is the first time that I have been in a real marriage. Sometimes I lie to Rufus and go behind his back because I'm scared…" Lily's voice cracks, she is surprised by her own honesty and the cathartic feeling flooding through her from voicing her concerns about her marriage. Donna narrows her eyes; this is the most emotion she has ever seen from her daughter-in-law.

"What are you scared of?" Donna asks, reserving all judgment so Lily will be more inclined to be honest with her. Lily wants to bridge that chasm between them, but it's hard for her to reveal parts of herself to anyone but her husband.

"I'm scared he will…leave me." She ends her sentence at a whisper; thankfully the darkness is covering the rosy hue of her cheeks. Donna sheds her standoffish persona and sets her cup of tea down, giving her full attention to Lily.

"Lily, my son loves you and I know he can be a little rash to judge a situation, but he won't leave you unless you give him a reason to." Lily nods, trying to stifle a yawn with her hand.

"I am glad we could talk, but I am really tired. I'll see you in the morning."

"Hey Lily?" Donna asks as she watches Lily head upstairs.

"Hmmm?"

"We need to work on your cooking." Lily laughs, glad that they can make a joke about something Donna didn't find amusing earlier.

"Okay, I'll cook Rufus breakfast tomorrow; it will surprise the hell out of him." Donna and Lily part with a laugh, but Lily's smile dissolves as she gets further up the stairs. Sure they made a step in the right direction, but Lily isn't exactly positive as to where they stand at the moment. The last thing she wants to do is give Rufus false hope in case her relationship with Donna becomes fractured again.

She creeps back into her bedroom and sits on the bed. Rufus notices the shift in weight and his eyes flutter open. His wife has her back to him, her face buried in her hands.

"Lil? You okay?" He asks, sitting up and gliding his hand up her back. She twists to face him, managing only a malleable smile.

"Can't sleep," She mumbles.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Lily gives a half nod. "I'm sorry sweetheart," He engulfs her in a fierce hug, not being able to see the guilty look consuming her features. It's a lie, but a necessary one until she and Rufus can have an actual conversation about her newly improved relationship with his mother.

"I'm fine," Lily assures him, pulling away and kissing him lightly on the lips.

"Hmm…good, let's get some sleep," He surprises her by hooking his arm around her waist, forcing her to lie down on the bed.

"Rufus, you are going to kill me!" She exclaims, laughing into the blankets.

"That's the point Lil," he teases. Lily smirks at him and snuggles deeper into the covers, feeling better when his arms lock around her.

The next morning, Alex runs into her parent's room, a terrified look marring her usual upbeat face.

"Daddy! Daddy! Wake up! You hafta wake up and stop her!" Alex exclaims, pulling on her father's arm. Rufus' eyes flicker open, staring at his daughter's wide green eyes filled with fear. He tilts his head, wondering where his wife has gone; it might be correlated to the reason why Alex is freaking out.

"Alex, what are you talking about? Where's your mom?"

"Daddy, she cookin', 'mon." Alex jumps off the bed so her father can stand up.

"Are you sure Alex?" Alex nods and grabs her dad's hand, leading him downstairs.

"Yeah, gamma der too." Rufus gasps and scoops his daughter off the ground, hurrying down the stairs. He stops when he sees his wife and mother cooking pancakes together and _laughing. _Rufus shakes his head in disbelief; certainly he is seeing a mirage. Lily laughs at the stunned look on Rufus' face and walks over to her husband, kissing him on the lips.

"Hi my darling, do you want a pancake?" Rufus double blinks and opens his mouth, but no words come out.

"Uh…sure…as long it's not burnt." Lily sneers at him as Rufus' mom is instructing her on how to flip a pancake.

"When I was pregnant with Alex, Rufus and I went to Hawaii. I thought I would be nice and cook my husband breakfast, but I burnt the pancakes. He hasn't let me forget for over three years now," Lily explains to Donna.

"Let it go son, soon Lily will be able to cook you dinner without starting something starting on fire." Alex and Rufus glance at each other, doubt written on their faces. Rufus puts Alex down to run upstairs, snatching up his phone. He comes back into the kitchen and takes a picture of his wife.

"Rufus, why are you taking a picture of me?" Lily asks as she slides a plate of perfectly made chocolate chip pancakes towards Alex. Alex stares down at them and looks to her father for approval to eat them.

"I am sending this to our kids so they will actually believe me when I tell them that you made us breakfast." Lily holds up her plate of pancakes and smiles while Rufus takes a picture. He pockets his phone so he can accept his pancakes.

Lily and Donna sit next to each other at the table, which has Rufus very confused. Yesterday, his mom despised Lily and now they are gossiping like old friends. Something had to have happened overnight for Donna to have such a change of heart about his wife.

"Rufus, I realize that me making breakfast is shocking, but are you just going to stand there?" Lily asks, bringing him out of his reverie.

"No…I am just wondering why you two are getting along…it's weird…" Lily drops her eyes down to her pancakes, shoving a huge bite into her mouth so she won't have to answer her husband. Rufus sits in his usual spot next to Lily and looks to his mother for a response.

"Lily and I talked, I am sure she will fill you in on the rest later. Now, what are we going to do for the day?" Donna isn't really sure what Lily wants to tell Rufus about their early morning conversation so she will just let her handle it.

"Daddy say we go get ice cweam, but I wanna see nanimals," Alex answers with her mouth full of pancake.

"I did promise her that we would go get some ice cream with you if that's okay mom." Rufus picks up for Alex who is busy chugging down the rest of her milk in her sippy cup.

"Sure, could we go to Central Park? I really would like to go there before I leave," Donna asks her son.

"I think that can be done. Lil, do you have anything going on today?" Rufus asks his wife.

"No I told Charles that I would help him tomorrow with the deal. However, I won't go anywhere until you admit that these pancakes I made are delicious." Rufus scoffs, but Lily is stubborn, she will make him sit at the table all day until he says what she wants him to.

"Mom, did you make these pancakes and let Lily take credit for them?" Rufus asks, not surprised at all when he receives a smack on the arm from his wife.

"Rufus!" Lily exclaims and shoots him a death glare.

"I only supervised; Lily did all of the work." Donna confesses. Rufus sighs in defeat and puts his hand over Lily's.

"Fine, Lily Humphrey, congratulations you actually made something that tastes great and isn't burnt, I am so proud of you." Rufus kisses her cheek as Lily blushes.

"Thank you, I thought I did well. Excuse me, I am going to get ready," Lily deposits her dish into the sink and leaves Rufus, Alex and Donna downstairs.

"Alex, can you go pick out what you want to wear?" Rufus asks, hinting to the toddler that he wants to speak with her grandmother alone.

"Yeah daddy," Alex gets unbuckled and scampers upstairs.

"Lily lied to me last night," Rufus tells Donna and props his chin on the table. Donna furrows her eyebrows,

"What do you mean?"

"She said that she couldn't sleep because she had a nightmare, but you two obviously had a conversation sometime during the night. Why does she always do this?" Rufus asks out of exasperation.

"Hold on Rufus, if we didn't talk last night then I wouldn't understand her like I do now. I think she is just scared and didn't know how to tell you."

"Scared of what?" Rufus is beyond perplexed by his mother's revelation.

"Talk to her, I have to change," Donna leaves her son alone at the kitchen table to ponder their talk. Rufus heads upstairs to the master bedroom, finding Lily changing into a three quarter length sleeve beige dress.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Lily asks, approaching him tentatively. Rufus crosses his arms over his chest and scratches his nose.

"So are you going to tell me exactly what happened between you and my mom last night or am I going to have to guess?" Lily clasps his hand and rubs her thumb over his knuckles.

"I told her that I love you and the past is the past. I might have mentioned something about the talk we had about me having doubts about our relationship." Rufus appreciates that Lily was willing to let her guard down in front of his mother. He realizes how hard that was for her and gathers her in his arms, kissing her ardently.

"I ready!" Alex calls out from her bedroom. Lily and Rufus sigh against each other's lips, irritated that their alone time continues to be interrupted.

"You heard the woman, Rufus," Lily jokes and pushes him towards the door.

"Why do I have to go? She is going to want your opinion anyway and you are already dressed," Rufus protests. Lily shakes her head and brushes past her husband.

"Your mom really seems to be warming up to Alex," Lily comments as her and Rufus trail behind Donna who is carrying their daughter down a sidewalk at Central Park. Rufus reaches for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I think it took her realizing that Alex is one of her grandchildren as well as Jenny and Dan. Serena and Eric though, it might take a little longer." Lily shrugs,

"I'm not worried; my kids can be very persuasive."

"As can you; thanks Lil, for making the effort with my mom, I know it wasn't easy." Lily rests her head on Rufus' upper arm for a brief moment while he kisses the crown of her head.

"I think I like her better than CeCe, I might adopt her as my mother."

"Woah, slow down Lil, you don't want to do that."

"Why not? She raised you, she couldn't be that bad. Although, you are rather stubborn…" Lily trails off and giggles at the glower forming on Rufus' face.

"Mom, Lily's picking on me!" Rufus whines, watching Donna and Alex turn to face the couple.

"Stop trying to get me in trouble," Lily mutters under her breath.

"Don't be a tattletale Rufus," Donna scolds jokingly and resumes walking, carrying Alex over to the pond so she can fix the ducks. Rufus and Lily stand back; he is slack-jawed while she is desperately trying to hold in her laughter.

"I can't…believe…she took your side…" Rufus sputters, glancing down at his wife.

"Don't worry darling, I promised to take her shoe shopping later," Lily teases and stands on her tip-toes to stamp a kiss to the curve of Rufus' mouth.

When they arrive back at the penthouse, Chuck is waiting with a bouquet of flowers. Alex gasps at the sight of her favorite sibling and immediately demands to be put down so she can hug him.

"Chuck! You here! Are dem fwowers for me?" The three-year-olds green eyes twinkle with excitement. Rufus and Lily stand back with Donna, watching the interaction between Alex and Chuck.

"You can share them with your mom," Chuck says, even though he mainly bought them for Lily. He doesn't want to hurt his half-sister's feelings.

"Thanks Chuck, I wuv you," Alex kisses Chuck's cheek and brings the flowers over to Lily.

"Mommy, look at dese fwowers! Aren't day pwetty mommy?" Lily bends down and picks up her little girl.

"They are sweetie. Thank you Charles, what brings you here?" Chuck nervously glances behind Lily at Donna, not knowing who she is. Lily catches his look and clears her throat, "Oh sorry, Charles, this is Rufus' mom, Donna. She is staying with us until tomorrow." They exchange pleasantries and Chuck turns his attention to Lily.

"Can we talk somewhere privately?" Chuck asks Lily.

"Alex, do you want to go get some ice cream with me and grandma?" Rufus asks, giving his wife the chance to talk to Chuck. Alex taps her chin, torn between ice cream and spending time with her brother.

"Um…Chuck, you come too?" Alex asks her voice full of hope.

"Another time Alex, I have to talk about the company with your mom," Chuck lies. Alex has no idea what Chuck is telling her, but nods.

"K, I see you lata Chuck! I go get ice cweam," Alex follows her grandma to the elevator.

"Be right there," Rufus calls over his shoulder. He shakes Chuck's hand, never getting the chance to thank him for saving Lily from Jack a few nights ago. Rufus can't help but think of when he did the same thing all those years ago the day after the first time Jack attacked his wife at the opera. "Do you want anything?" Rufus asks Lily after he kisses her goodbye.

"No, thanks though," She gives him a quick kiss of her own and watches her husband leave. She brings Chuck over to the couch; tucking her legs under her and watching her son situate himself next to her. "I never got the chance to thank you for what you did for me at your par…" Lily stops when Chuck shakes his head vigorously back and forth.

"Lily, I didn't notice that Jack was there. I should have stopped him before he had the chance…" Lily puts her hands on Chuck's cheeks, causing his head to tilt up.

"Charles, it wasn't your fault, please don't blame yourself for anything that happened. You and Rufus were there for me when it really mattered. And thanks for the flowers my daughter stole." Lily smiles softly and caresses her son's cheek before pulling him in for a quick hug.

"Blair picked them out," Chuck stands up and Lily does as well.

"Thank you so much for stopping by Charles, I love you and you know you are always welcome to stop by," Lily follows her son to the elevator. Before he steps on the awaiting elevator, Chuck turns to face Lily.

"I love you too and Jack isn't coming back Lily, I made sure of it. I definitely will try to make it to the next family event." Lily nods and hugs her son again.

"Thank you Charles, I'll see you soon." She watches the doors close in front of Charles and takes a deep breath. Lily is so appreciative that her son made the effort to stop by despite the fact that he thinks that what happened is his fault. Chuck shouldn't take responsibility for his uncle's mistakes, but Lily understands that he feels some guilt over the whole incident. All she wants to do is move on with her life and never see Jack again.

At the ice cream place, Alex is debating which flavor to get while Rufus and Donna are patiently waiting.

"Up daddy! Pwease!" Alex holds her arms up for her father, having officially decided. Rufus scoops her daughter off the ground so she can tell the lady behind the counter which flavor she wants. Alex gets her ice cream dish and they sit at a table.

"Are Chuck and Lily close?" Donna asks her son out of curiosity. Rufus shrugs,

"They have a complicated relationship; Chuck has some…unresolved family issues, but he does really love her. Alex really seems to have bonded with Chuck, right Al?"

"I wuv Chuck sooo much but I wuv ice cweam more," Alex admits and shoves a bite into her mouth. Rufus and Donna laugh at the three-year-old.

"Rufus, I owe you an apology. I am sorry for being so quick to judge Lily and her kids, I just keep thinking about before," Donna doesn't want to mention the past in front of Alex because she isn't sure how much the toddler knows. Rufus softens and smiles at his mother.

"Thanks mom, I appreciate both you and Lil making the effort to fix your relationship."

"I want to cook you guys dinner since it's my last night in town." Rufus shakes his head,

"Mom, you don't have to."

"Is Lily going to?"

"Good point," mother and son share a laugh and look over at Alex who has ice cream all over her face. "We have to go grocery shopping though."

Rufus, Donna and Alex get home an hour later, arms full of grocery bags.

"Where's Lily?" Donna asks Rufus, who glances around the empty penthouse.

"Probably upstairs, she would have let me know if she was going somewhere. Come on Al, it's time for your nap," Rufus holds out his hand for his daughter. Alex follows her dad into her room, not fighting for once. It's later than usual and the toddler's shoulders are slumping with exhaustion. He puts the three-year-old to bed and then searches for his wife.

"Lil?" He asks as he knocks on their bedroom door. She is fast asleep, lying on her side, facing away from him. Rufus strolls over to her side of the bed and watches her sleep for a few minutes. She looks so peaceful, he doesn't want to wake her, but he knows that she doesn't like to sleep for very long. He gingerly sits on the edge of their bed and puts a hand on her thigh. His hand moves up to her stomach, caressing it gently while he places a kiss on her cheek.

"Mmmm…what time is it?" She mutters sleepily as she rolls on her back, scooting over so he has more room on their bed.

"A little after three, I just put Alex down for a quick nap." Rufus gathers her into his arms, brushing a kiss to her temple.

"Thank you, where is your mom?"

"She is making us dinner." Lily raises her eyebrows in surprise, "Are the kids coming?"

"No, they have that event tonight for Nate."

"Why aren't we going?" Rufus is surprised that his wife would skip out on an event.

"You mean why aren't I dragging you to an event?"

"Same difference." Lily laughs and drops her head on his shoulder.

"Since your mother is here I thought we could skip it."

"Good idea, I didn't want to go anyway. How did your talk with Chuck go?" A frown tarnishes Lily's smile,

"He thinks he is responsible for what happened with Jack, Rufus. I feel terrible." Rufus is surprised by this; he didn't think Chuck would have that kind of reaction.

"It's not his fault though; he helped you get away from him." He senses Lily nod against the fabric of his flannel shirt.

"That's what I told him, but he feels bad because Jack was able to sneak into his party."

"Well Jack is gone now so we don't have to worry about him anymore. I am just looking forward to our alone time," Rufus lowers his voice to a whisper and kisses near her ear. Lily rolls her eyes,

"Is that all you can think about?" Rufus scoffs,

"Please Lil; we have known each other for too long for you to deny it." Lily flashes an impish grin before tucking it away.

"I know you look so handsome in that," She pouts, tugging on the hem of his shirt. Rufus laughs,

"We could always mess with my mom at dinner." Lily shakes her head,

"No, she finally likes me; I don't want to screw that up." Rufus huffs and Lily feels the need to reassure him. "We will get our alone time soon my darling."

"Good, because when we do, we aren't leaving our bedroom for at least a day." Lily giggles,

"Rufus! What about Alex?"

"Eh, she's three; she can take care of herself for a day."

"You are terrible," Lily jokes and stamps a kiss to his lips. Rufus laughs against her lips and slips his tongue into her mouth. "Rufus…we should stop…" He is trailing sloppy kisses down her neck and sneaking his hand under her pajama shirt.

"Okay, I am going to ask my mom if she needs help with dinner." Rufus gives her a fleeting kiss on the forehead. Lily is surprised that her husband gave up that easily, but she is guessing that he doesn't want his mother to hear them.

"I am going to change…again."

Rufus, Lily, Donna and Alex sit down for dinner a few hours later. Donna went all out and made lasagna with unburned garlic bread and a salad. Lily is impressed, her mom never cooked dinner so it's strange to see Rufus' mom doing it. A part of her wishes that she did, but she can't change how she grew up. And she knows that as much as she tries, Lily just wasn't born to cook. She is lucky that Rufus can otherwise Alex would have grown up on take out menus.

"This looks great; do you think I can make this in my Easy Bake Oven?" Lily asks Rufus jokingly. Rufus laughs at his wife's question and shakes his head.

"Why do you have an Easy Bake Oven?" Donna asks out of curiosity.

"Rufus bought it for me for our anniversary so I could learn how to cook," Lily feels her cheeks flame as she explains her gift to her mother in law.

"How did that work out for you?"

"I gave it to Alex," Lily tells Donna and winks at her daughter. Alex flashes a toothy grin.

As dinner moves on, Rufus is wondering why his mom hasn't apologized to Lily. She deserves more of an apology than he did, so why isn't Donna saying she is sorry? Of course, he doesn't want to mention it in order for his mom not to feel pressured and have the apology come out as forced. Also, the other possibility is that maybe his wife and his mom aren't there yet in their relationship. Their talk is enough for now, if his mom wants to apologize to Lily on her own, away from Rufus that would be great.

Lily is actually enjoying her time with Rufus' mom at dinner. There isn't the pressure to be a certain way or to impress anyone, their time together flows a lot better when everyone is just acting like themselves.

Rufus realizes that his wife and mother are very similar to each other. It took Donna a while to warm up to Lily and Alex. He has noticed that Lily isn't always receptive to people right away like he is. A lot of people think that Lily is some hardened societal bitch who cares more about her image than her family. Rufus has seen that part of her come out occasionally, but he knows better than anyone that it's just her walls going up when Lily feels threatened. Lily is one of the kindest and funniest people he has ever met and he is glad that his mother got to see this part of his wife that he loves so much. He puts his hand on her knee, gliding it towards her thigh.

"Rufus," Lily mutters quietly, eyeing him in suspicion. She doesn't want to get busted by his mom because that would be so embarrassing. Her husband doesn't seem to care and his cold fingers contrast her warm skin. She shivers and smacks her knee against the table, swearing softly.

"Lily are you okay?" Donna asks.

"Yeah, honey, are you okay?" Rufus asks with a cheeky grin. Lily glares at him, _I'm going to murder you Rufus; you better sleep with one eye open tonight darling. _

"I'm fine, I just hit my knee," Lily passes a convincing grin to Donna who seems to buy it. Rufus seems to think that he got away with it, but Lily is going to prove him wrong. She starts up a conversation with Rufus' mom about the baby while digging her nails into Rufus' khaki pants. She bites back a smile when he hears Rufus' clear his throat loudly. She pats his thigh before retracting her hand, proud of herself for leveling the playing field between her and Rufus.

"I done!" Alex announces, showing her empty bowl off. The toddler is covered from head to toe in marina sauce; it's even in her hair.

"Alex, how did you get it in your hair?" Rufus asks his daughter in amusement.

"I don't know daddy," Alex grimaces at the streaks of marina sauce covering her body.

"I'm going to give her a bath," Lily declares and holds Alex away from her so she doesn't get any sauce on her dress.

"Very sneaky Lil!" Rufus calls out to her, realizing that his wife only volunteered because she doesn't want to clean up. Lily high fives Alex as they walk upstairs together. She undresses Alex and starts the water while her daughter wanders around naked.

"Mommy look!" Alex shakes her bare butt before stepping into the tub. Lily laughs and shakes her head; their daughter definitely inherited her husband's silliness.

"Alex you are crazy," Lily declares and reaches for the baby shampoo.

"I know mommy," Alex says in an obvious tone. Lily situates herself so she is sitting on the floor, her legs outstretched. She washes Alex while her daughter is playing with her bath toys. And that's when Lily felt it; a tiny, distinguishable flutter just below her belly button. She gasps, dropping the shampoo bottle in the water and puts a hand on her swollen abdomen. _What that what I think it was? _Lily asks herself.

"Mommy?" Alex asks, her eyebrows crinkled with worry. Lily realizes that she scared her daughter and smiles.

"I'm okay my darling." She wasn't exactly sure if that was the baby moving and even if it was, Lily would rather share this moment with Rufus first.

"You look funny." Alex says bluntly and giggles as Lily splashes some water at her. Lily swaddles Alex in a towel and carries her into her bedroom. She can faintly hear her husband and mother-in-law chatting downstairs while getting Alex dressed into footie pajamas.

"Should we go say goodnight to grandma?" Lily asks Alex. Alex nods and hops out of her mom's arms, leading the way downstairs. Lily follows closely behind and tries to wipe off her grin. She keeps feeling tiny, sporadic movements, but doesn't want to tell Rufus until they are alone, although, Lily might blow it if she can't reign in her emotions around her husband. Alex climbs on Rufus' lap while Lily sits on a chair by the couch, Donna in the other chair next to her. Rufus frowns, not knowing why his wife didn't sit next to him like she always does. Lily catches her husband staring at her intently and winks at him.

"How was your bath Alex?" Rufus asks his daughter, hoping that she will divulge something about her mother.

"I don't have dat red stuff on me no more, look daddy, I cwean!" Alex shows Rufus her bare arms.

"Why is mommy sitting all the way over there?" Rufus teases his wife who is talking to his mom. Alex shrugs and leans over to grab a toy on the coffee table. Lily smirks at him, she knows that he is going to continue to wonder, but not figure it out. She loves messing with her husband almost as much as he loves messing with her; it's why their relationship thrives.

"I don't know daddy, you don't stink," Alex sniffs her father for confirmation. Rufus snickers and tickles his little girl until she surrenders.

"I hate to break this up, but I am going to bed. I have a very early flight tomorrow morning," Donna declares and stands up. Rufus and Lily follow suit, with him holding Alex in his arms.

"I'll be up to take accompany you to the airport," Rufus says and hugs his mom with Alex in tow.

"Okay, thank you for letting me come Rufus, it was nice seeing you and the kids." Donna puts a hand on her son's cheek and holds her hands out for Alex. The toddler is passed while Rufus goes to stand next to Lily, swathing an arm around her waist.

"Bye gamma, you goin home now?" Alex asks, wondering why her parents are saying goodbye. Donna eyes Alex with an impressed stare; she didn't think the three-year-old would be able to pick up on that.

"Yes sweetie I'm going back home, but I will see you soon, okay?" Alex wraps her tiny arms around her grandmother's neck and is set down on the floor. Lily waits patiently for Donna to acknowledge her, she is curious as to what her mother-in-law is going to say.

"Lily, thank you for having me in your home, I would like to visit again in the near future," Donna states. Lily smiles and they give each other somewhat of an awkward hug. Rufus scoops up Alex and clasps his wife's hand. Donna shuts the door to Serena's bedroom behind her, leaving Alex, Rufus and Lily by themselves. Lily bites her lip, eager to show her husband her surprise.

"Are you going to put Alex to bed or am I?" Rufus asks his wife, who is still acting strange.

"Go ahead, I'll meet you in our bed when you are done," Lily bends down to kiss Alex goodnight, trying not to smile when she feels the tiny flutters in her stomach. She brushes past Rufus, only managing a gentle squeeze on his shoulder. Rufus stares down at Alex who is fiddling with her toy, not noticing anything different about her mother.

"Alex, why is your mom acting weird?" Rufus asks and picks his daughter up, carrying her upstairs. Alex sighs and shakes her head.

"Daddy, I tired, mommy is okay." He laughs at the annoyance stemming from the toddler, who didn't get to nap very long today.

"Alright Al, goodnight,"

"Night daddy."

Rufus gets his daughter situated in her bed and stamps a kiss to her temple. He closes the bedroom door and walks into the master. Lily is dressed in a black lace tank top, the sheets pulled up to her waist and she smirking at Rufus.

"That…look on your face…Am I about to be in trouble?" Rufus asks sheepishly, gesturing at his wife's saccharine smile.

"No, why would you be in trouble? Unless you did something that you didn't tell me about." He stands back, unwilling to get under the covers with her until she admits to whatever is going on between them.

"I didn't, but that face…you make that face you are making right now right before you say 'Rufus' in a very high pitched tone. It's very sexy I must admit, but also a little scary." Lily giggles and pats the blankets on his side of the bed.

"Thank you Rufus, you have a look too," She challenges and impersonates it; head slightly turned, eyebrows raised. "Lily," she says her own name in a deep voice. Rufus loses his composure and laughs at his wife's impression of him; they know each other too well.

"I will get in bed with you in a second as long as you don't yell at me." He disappears into the closet to change into his pajamas. Lily patiently waits for him, smiling when she senses the covers pull back and her husband encompassing her in his arms. "Now, what is the big secret?"

She doesn't say anything, but instead, lifts up her shirt, exposing her expanded stomach.

"Give me your hand," Lily reaches for Rufus' hand and places it on the spot where she first felt the sensation. Rufus concentrates on the feel of Lily's skin beneath his fingertips. She narrows her eyes and moves his hand more to the left. "There, did you feel that?"

"Yeah, I did," Rufus looks down at the tremendous grin igniting Lily's face. He squeezes her hand and presses a kiss to her hair.

_Come on baby, do it again, _He thinks to himself and presses his fingers gently into the spot where the baby had pushed against them. Rufus and Lily feel the baby dance against their hands and they laugh, resting their foreheads against each other.

"Remember when we first felt Alex move?" Lily asks, craning her neck to meet his eyes.

"Yeah, we just got in a fight, but made up for your birthday. That was a fun night," Rufus wags his eyebrows mischievously, remembering how they celebrated Lily's birthday after dinner. She laughs at the nostalgic grin on his face and lightly drops a kiss on the side of his neck.

"It's nice to be referring to the baby as a 'he' now," Lily talks aloud, smiling softly when she can feel Rufus trace a lazy outline on her stomach.

"You know what would be even nicer?"

"What?"

"Calling him by his name," he states, giving her a hopeful look. Lily bites her lip,

"I am really surprised you haven't badgered me about that before. However, I don't have an answer for you yet. I am still making a list."

"I could help with that if you are struggling," Rufus glances at her, an eager smile chasing across his face.

"No, I will give you some options and we can pick together. For now though, you will just have to wait." She nuzzles noses with him, scrunching up her face when he presses a kiss to the tip of her nose.

"Fine, but I will continue to bother you about it."

"Darling, I would expect nothing less from you. I will have an answer for you very soon. Let's get some sleep, your mother leaves tomorrow." Lily loses contact with him when she reaches to turn off the lamp on the bedside table. He reaches for her, pulling her up against him. His hand finds her belly, rubbing it soothingly and presses a kiss to the back of her head.

"Love you Lil," He whispers.

"I love you too Rufus." They quickly kiss each other goodnight and fall asleep rather quickly.

The next morning, Rufus entangles himself from Lily so she doesn't wake up. He bends down to kiss her cheek, accidentally waking her up.

"Hmm…?" Lily mumbles, blindly splashing her hand on the empty side of the bed, her eyelids fluttering open when she can't find her husband.

"Go back to sleep sweetheart, I am taking my mom to the airport."

"Okay, am I taking Alex to school?" Rufus smiles when he looks down at her tousled hair. Lily frowns, "don't laugh at me."

"I'll take her to school if you pick her up." Lily nods and turns over, trying to fall back to sleep.

"I don't get a goodbye kiss?" Rufus pouts jokingly.

"Nope, see you later," Lily holds out her hand and Rufus clasps it, pressing his lips to her skin.

Three hours later, a very tired Rufus stumbles into the penthouse. He dropped his mom off at the airport, Alex off at school and now he is ready to go back to bed. However, his nose is assaulted with the smell of pancakes. Rufus strolls into the kitchen, watching his wife concentrate on setting up her plate of steaming hot chocolate chip pancakes.

"Hi honey, I made us breakfast…again." He accepts his plate with a yawn and drags behind his wife to the dining room table.

"Are you getting sick of my waffles Lil?"

"No, I just wanted to see if I could make pancakes without your mom's help. They are a little burnt, but not too bad." Rufus nods in agreement and goes into the kitchen to grab his half-finished cup of coffee.

"They are great, I'm impressed."

After breakfast, Rufus cleans up while Lily leans against the counter, tracking his movements around the kitchen.

"Rufus…"

"What Lil?" He turns around to face her, furrowing his eyebrows at the cheeky grin flourishing on her lips.

"We are alone." Rufus slams the dishwasher and advances towards her, catching her off guard when he kisses her passionately. She breaks away first, breathless, and brushes a piece of hair out of his eyes. "You aren't too tired?"

"Have you forgotten who you are married to?" She shakes her head and gasps when he picks her off the ground.

"Rufus don't drop me!" She exclaims when he fumbles a little on the top stair. His retort is swallowed by her lips compressing onto his.

**A/N 2: That's it! I hope you liked this chapter, which was so fun to write. I always value your opinion so…what do you guys think of a Christmas chapter? Should I skip it or include it in this story? Let me know by leaving a review. Also, baby names would be really appreciated because I have no clue. Thanks for reading! I'll definitely try to post a chapter quicker next time if you guys review. **


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